Black Sunday
by DD Agent
Summary: It starts with a shooting, and one night they fall into bed together. But their relationship has dangerous consequences that could affect the lives of both FID and Major Crimes. Sharon/Will, spoilers up to 5.07 NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Black Sunday by DD Agent**

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings_

**Chapter One**

_You've learned to hide your hurt, put a mask on your face and stay behind your words. Statistics, morals, taking a stand for the people you serve. It never once occurs to them that there is more to what you say, that you aren't just a bitch, that you have reasons and truth. That the emptiness in your eyes isn't due to you not having a soul, but because your heart has no warmth in it anymore._

_Early morning shower, pounding hot water and your hair goes a little curly when it's dry. You put on CNN for background noise, to make your house seem a little less quiet. Bacon sandwich for breakfast, you can't stand sugary filled pastries or breakfast cereal, ever since you were a girl. Sharp suit, glasses, solid colours. Nothing fancy, nothing colourful. Fade into the background is more your style._

_Car in the garage, you get in the drivers seat. Everything is immaculate, everything is clean. Just how you like it, although the smell of bleach makes you want to throw up to this day. It's black, sleek, emotionless. Matches your mood. Matches you. The motorbike stands in the corner, lost, dusty. You haven't ridden it in years, you should have got rid of it but it was a gift and it's the last piece of a full life._

_Into work, huge labyrinth of a building. Everyone avoids your gaze; no one wants to look in the eyes of someone like you, someone who turns against their own officers. They don't understand you, they never will as your jacket is sealed on your request. Major Crimes, they bump into you, smack into your shoulder or just blank you. Once upon a time you would have loved to be there, sitting in the hallowed department and catching killers. But times change, and you are happy where you are._

_Finally you come to the only place you feel at home, your department. FID. Simon and Tony, your two biggest detectives are at the back of the room, chewing on a cup of coffee and shooting the breeze. Claudia is somewhere, probably around the back of the building smoking a cigarette and checking her phone for any communication from last nights date. Jimmy, the sweet Californian kid who you suspect has a crush on you, passes you a cup of coffee and a smile._

_Then it's just paperwork and a lot of waiting. Waiting for that call. And it comes, you dread when it does because it's the harbinger of another life ruined. However much you wish it not to, it comes all the same. Now for the hateful smiles, the whispers and your attempt to bring a little dignity back to the LAPD. Someone has to._

X

"Shooting…Sergeant Jake Webster allegedly shot a kid of nineteen outside a club," Simon explained as they went on their way out of the shiny streets of Hollywood and into the darker areas of the city. She used to play on those streets, jump rope with the girl next door and hopscotch until Daddy came home from his shift. Seemed an eternity ago now.

By the time they made it to the crime scene, Assistant Chief Pope was already there. Sharon gave him a brief nod; she never knew what to make of him. She had always dealt with the Chief concerning her career, so she had never really had much to do with Pope. Her last two dealings, however, had only confused her more. The first time he seemed to be on her side, helping her out with her investigation. But the second time, he was a bastard to her. She was used to it, but it still came out of left field.

"Captain Raydor." He nodded and she gave a weak smile. Thankfully Major Crimes wasn't there; this was just an FID case. With no interference from Chief Johnson, she could carry out her work in peace. Her and her team moved to the taped off crime scene, the ambulance speeding the kid away. Webster stood to the side off duty, a pretty blonde hanging on his arm with a vice like grip.

"Sergeant Webster - could you tell me what happened here?" Raydor asked, crossing her arms over herself, as she looked the young man up and down. Her team had been preparing to leave for the day when the call had come in. She didn't mind so much, but she knew that Tony had a family, and Claudia had another blind date. Why couldn't officers be considerate with the trouble they caused - or better yet, not do it at all?

"Guy came out of nowhere, pulling a piece, I warned him off, tried to talk him round, but in the end he shot at Chloe here…it was just a natural reaction."

Sometimes things happened, in the heat of the moment during a shoot out and Sharon had been in that situation long enough not to blame the officers. But with cases like these, with the officer drunk, Sharon couldn't help but do so. She sighed, nodding along like she believed him.

Jake Webster was one of those officers who had seemingly joined because with the army there was a greater chance of death, and working at his Daddy's shop was unappealing. Maybe he believed in justice, maybe he believed in America, but Sharon knew that his story sounded rehearsed. She had heard enough to know the difference. "Are you sure that's what happened?"

Her tone must have been sharper than she thought, because there was a sudden glint in his eye and his whole body language changed. "Should have known you wouldn't believe my story - fucking FID, always ready to send an officer down the river."

Sharon thanked God and Simon that Claudia was restrained, because there was no doubt in her mind that he would have ended up with a black eye or a bloody nose had Lieutenant Belluci got hold of him. Instead of shoving him up against the wall, Sharon merely met his gaze, looking deep into ice blue eyes, a frozen smile on her face. "Sergeant Webster, let me make this very clear. As of right now, you are under suspicion concerning the unlawful use of discharging your firearm while off duty. Your balls are literally in my hands. Don't push me."

She swept back from the Sergeant; ignoring the wave of nausea she felt just _looking_ at him. She ordered Simon to check up on the man and get his statement, Claudia and Jimmy to collect the statements of everyone at the crime scene and Tony to go home to his family, he could check on the forensics first thing in the morning with Simon. She pushed past Pope, who was not amused by her actions.

"Kid saves the day and you throw him to the wolves?"

"You don't need to act like a heroic bastard, Chief, Johnson isn't here to watch."

She slid into her mustang, ignoring Pope's furious looks and driving away. Her team could deal with the scene, she needed to go back to the Station and read Webster's file. Something was not adding up, her Spidey sense was tingling.

X

Her office was simple, impersonal. On the wall behind her was the traditional 'To Protect and Serve', as well as newspaper clippings of convicted officers and lawsuits, what she tried to prevent. There was a window overlooking Los Angeles, and next to it was a large picture of the New York skyline - home. Other officers had pictures of family, friends - those that in doing their job they protected. On her desk, well she guessed a lot of people would think it empty.

But there was a photo of her family, _her own family_ on her desk. It wasn't much of a family, but it was hers. Her and Ben in a rare snapshot of calm, her arms around his neck, his hands resting on the wheels of his chair. There was another photo on her desk too, her work family taken at Tony's wedding.

Sharon traced the edge of the two wooden frames, picking up the picture of her and Ben and smiling. A knock disturbed her reverie, and she placed the photo on the edge of her desk and opened the door. Will Pope was staring back at her, fury carved into his features like distorted marble.

"Chief Pope, can I help you with something?" She welcomed him into her office, and his eyes immediately turned to the newspaper clippings on the board. His gaze locked on her, his blue eyes staring at her intently.

"Respect, Captain Raydor, I expect it. What you said to me at the crime scene was not only disrespectful, but out of line. I will not tolerate it, understood?"

His words were calm and measured, but Sharon's were not. It had been a long day, and Webster's words were still getting to her. "You want to talk about respect, Chief? What about Webster's little anti FID speech? I didn't see you standing up for superior officer respect then."

Pope's mouth tightened into a grimace. "You do bring that on yourself."

"You're right, absolutely right. Why should policeman be treated like everyone else, obey the same rules? You know what else? Maybe I should start talking like a _Southern Belle_…maybe that would help?"

"Another thing. Your 'feud' with Chief Johnson must stop, its disrespectful…" Pope was about to start yelling at the Captain when he noticed her hands were shaking. In their little slinging match, one of her desk pictures had fallen off of the desk and the glass had smashed. Raydor had tried to pick it up and got cut, her fingers dripping blood. Pope had a quick choice to make, the sensible one being to leave her to clean her fingers up and continue their discussion the next day.

He didn't. Pope shut the door behind him as he searched for a first aid kit and proceeded to clean her fingers and bandage them up when he returned. They were still shaking and Pope turned his head to see her green eyes focussed on the blood on the antibacterial wipes. Reaching out to steady her, Pope entwined his fingers around hers, methodically stroking the tips to calm her.

"You okay?"

He expected to have his head snapped off, a sharp comeback that rewound the change in her current attitude. Gone was the sharp, bitter gaze and harsh body language. There was just softness and silence as he held her hands steady.

"Are you afraid of blood?"

Sharon nodded, her face white as her eyes fixed on the maroon drops. "Stupid, huh? I can deal with bodies, just not live peoples blood." He chuckled as she laughed shakily in front of him, and he felt a rush of emotion for the Captain. "I'll go get you a cup of tea."

Ten minutes later, he returned with two cups of weak tea and a couple of chocolate bars he had stolen from Brenda's desk drawer. He entered Raydor's office to find the bandages cleaned away and Raydor gone. He left the chocolate anyway, and headed home.

X

A friend had introduced her to the principal of the hour of the wolf, the hour of early morning where you can't sleep, and all you can think about is your mistakes. Sharon didn't like to drink when she was alone; it was a bitter thing that she tried to avoid at all costs. So that was why she was currently on the sofa, watching an old horror movie on HBO with a huge bowl of _Cookie Dough _on her lap.

Once again her evening had been a complete confusion. Webster was an asshole; he was an officer that she never wanted to see again. Her team were hopefully home now, resting up for the big day they had ahead as they tried to figure out Webster's story. But Will Pope, what was he? One moment he was a bureaucratic idiot, determined to ridicule her and her department, and then he was holding her hands gently, coaxing her fear out of her with the strong, warm hands of his that could span over her body quite easily.

She took another spoonful of her ice cream, struggling to keep asleep. If she spent another night on the sofa, then her back would get done in. Thinking of a way to keep awake, she moved from the sofa and pulled on her dressing gown. Opening the door to the garage, she saw her bike there in all its dusty glory.

Sharon tied her hair back and slipped one leg over the cool metal of the bike. Her hands roamed over the sleek handles and broad frame. She missed her father, the man who had put his daughter on a motorbike long before she could ride a bicycle. She missed the simplicity of being thirteen, no idea of the problems they had left in Los Angeles, only aware of the bright future as they returned home to New York. The attention of boys with her long legs and bright smile at fifteen, the knowledge of a father and daughter garage when she finished school.

Bang.

A car misfired a block away, and it started Sharon so much that she leapt off of the bike into the freezer behind her. She needed to get some sleep, not dwindle down memory lane. She locked the garage door behind her and spent the night on the sofa.

X

Her team was handpicked, much like Major Crimes in the fact that everyone was chosen for a reason. Claudia was good in the interrogation room; she had a tricky sensibility and was gifted at tripping people up on their words. Jimmy was young, he could relate to the other offices especially the cocky youngsters. Tony was hard headed and British, so he came from a strict system of police investigation committees, so the legal stuff came naturally to him. Simon could tell a lie at fifty paces, but his talents really lay in forensics, especially ballistics.

The Chief had specially picked her for the role, they hadn't worked together previously but he knew her file inside and out. She believed in justice, in wisdom and especially in the truth. She had seen what lawsuits did to families, saw the horror at an officer involved shooting, knew the pain in an officers eyes when their bullets had hurt a civilian…

"Watch where you're goin' Raydor!" announced Flynn. Sharon had been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't seen him. She smiled and took a stop forward, moving into his personal space. How transfers changed people, both her and Flynn. "You better move out of my way Lieutenant."

Sharon could see Provenza and Sanchez watching the exchange with some amusement out of the corner of her eye, but she didn't back down. Wouldn't. She had been on her way to see Pope, to find out about the investigation and had accidentally come into enemy territory. She could see Brenda Leigh Johnson observing out of her office, waiting for the right time to jump in.

"Should I? I know you're having a lot of problems, a lot of people in your way to being the biggest bitch in the world. Like Jake Webster -"

Sharon hadn't seen Claudia. If she had then she would have pushed her away or sent her to their offices. But instead what happened was the Orleans born detective launched herself at Flynn. It was a huge mess, with Simon and Sharon trying to hold back Claudia, and Provenza and Sanchez pulling back Flynn. A heated exchange began, and Johnson was charging towards them.

As quickly as it had started, it was over. Will Pope had swung his arm around Sharon's middle, pulling her out of the way of Flynn's fist. Chief Berrill was bracing his arms over Flynn's, stopping him from knocking ten shades into Belluci.

"Chief Johnson, I would like you and Major Crimes in my office in ten minutes." Brenda nodded; you didn't mess with Chief Wendell Berrill.

"Captain Raydor, my office?" She also nodded, trying to ignore the pressure of Pope's arm around her. She didn't really do personal contact, and the moment between Pope and her last night was playing like a cheap movie in her head. It made her skin itch.

Both departments went their separate ways, and Sharon sent hers back to work. They walked to Pope's office, and he opened the door for her. When they were both settled down, Pope asked after her fingers.

"They're fine, thank you. _Thank you._"

Pope waved her off, but gave her a small smile. "Don't worry about it; we're all afraid of something. I don't particular like spiders." He saw an amused smile crawl over her face. "You're not afraid of spiders?"

"I had a tarantula when I was a kid."

Pope shuffled his desk papers. "Okay then. I guess, Captain, that I owe you an apology."

Sharon was a little shocked and a little confused too. "Okay… how? And can I video this so I can put it up on _you tube_?"

Pope's smile widened before it fell again. "Have you got an update of the Webster investigation yet?"

"No I was on my way to talk to you about Webster's file when I bumped into Flintstone Flynn."

"The forensics says that Charlie Grundy wasn't carrying a gun, there was no GSR, no witnesses' say he was packing and the fact that we didn't _find _one suggests that he wasn't."

Sharon shifted closer on her seat, not liking where this was going at all. But at least her instincts were right about Webster; he was a nasty piece of work.

"When your officers talked to Grundy and Chloe, Webster's girlfriend, the truth came out. Grundy was hitting on the girlfriend; Webster wasn't very impressed and had a little to drink. There was a little bit of a fight, and Webster shot him. He's obviously stupid too, because some club goer filmed the whole thing."

Sharon was in a state of shock. She couldn't believe what Webster had done; she didn't think even Webster could be as stupid as that. She rested her head in her hands, not quite willing to believe what was going on.

"So I'm offering you an apology. Webster…doesn't even deserve to wear the uniform. Which is why I'm also giving you these."

Sharon looked up from her self-inserted gaze to look at Pope's sympathetic face. There was a pair of silver handcuffs on the desk. Loyalty amongst Police officers only when so far, and Webster's membership to the badge club was being rescinded. Permanently.

X

"Jake Webster, you are being arrested on the charge of assault with a deadly weapon. You have the right to remain silent…"

Sharon Raydor read the former Sergeant his rights, the handcuffs digging into his skin. The truth of what had happened had circulated around the station, and some of the more mature officers watched as Sharon escorted Webster down his walk of shame to a lovely cell.

"You bitch, you fucking bitch - I should have known you'd sell me out!" Sharon tried to ignore his protests, but could not ignore when his hands slammed into his stomach, winding her.

It was Pope, who had been watching from the shadows, who pushed Webster to the wall, banging his head viciously against the plasterboard. One of the detectives from Vice helped Sharon up. Turning to Webster and Pope, she was surprised to see the hate in his eyes, the bitter disappointment swallowed by bright blue irises.

"Shut the hell up Webster. You disgrace the uniform, you disgrace those wearing it, you disgrace those who _died _wearing it."

Webster struggled against his grip, but it was like iron. "I believe in justice Chief, I believe in the system!"

"Pity you don't believe in doing the right thing."

Pope opened up the handcuffs to Sharon again, and they continued on their little 'walk' together. As they walked into the distance, Pope felt a heavy feeling in his heart. It burned him, made him feel horrible. He wanted the feeling of disappointment to leave. Today's events had soured justice for him.

X

Later that day, when everyone was going home, Will caught Brenda by the elevator, on her way to Fritz and their niece, her happy ever after. He was happy for her, happy that she had finally found her place. Will wouldn't deny that he was jealous, that he wished that they were going home together to their own house and family. But it was a fantasy, and instead he went home to a quiet house, two failed marriages and two, sometimes three, kids he never saw.

"Nice work on Webster. Shame that such a promising kid abused his responsibility and badge," Brenda stated as they waited for the elevator.

"All Raydor and her team. She knew that kid was trouble."

Brenda made some noncommittal noise as the elevator doors opened. Fritz was there, and immediately gave his wife a welcoming kiss. Will stood there, trying to ignore the pangs, and as such caught sight of someone waiting for the other elevator.

Raydor.

She was humming softly, taping her nails on her trousers as she waited for the elevator. He gave her a quick wave as they stood, and she nodded back. It seemed like a level of respect had been reached between them, and he was happy. Will watched her, watched a sense of loneliness creep into her face. It was quickly shattered when Lieutenants Stoker and Belluci joined her, slinging their arms around Sharon and leading her into the elevator for their own celebration of a case finishing.

But beneath the smile and Stoker dancing around, Will knew that it wasn't a victory, a celebration but a commiseration that one of the officers had been fed to the wolves for pulling his gun and shooting a member of the public. Even if he wasn't a decent officer anyway. It was how they coped; act like every other department when a case was closed, or you ended up like other Internal Affairs officers, swallowed up with hatred for the job, for other officers and yourself.

Will went home alone, with no husband or teammates, to a late dinner with his kids where he spent most of the night catching up on the day's _Disney _with his daughter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

I do not own _The Closer _or any of its characters, or its settings.

_Her house is two stories, with a huge back garden, a large garage and a small driveway. She has a friend who is a realtor, who'll tour families around her house, and they'll simply fall in love with it. Annie hopes that if the right offer comes along, she'll sell the place and move into an apartment in the city, closer to work and closer to her friends._

_She knows in her heart that this is her home and she'll never move._

_She's lived in nine homes in total, some places better than others, some truly helping her discover what it means to be loved in a house. Her favourite home is the one she now stands in, the one she's lived in twice. There's the banister where she bumped her head at six, the pond where she tried to negotiate a peace agreement between her puppy and her fish that ended up with her soaking wet._

_Her home is her sanctuary._

_No one else has a key apart from her and Ben. Even Annie has to ask her to show clients around, and only if she's in a favourable mood to help the struggling realtor. Claudia and the rest of the team have never been invited; she proclaims boundaries and team leadership while in truth she couldn't bear to blend things. Her home is a link between Los Angeles and New York, and seemingly only those she knows from the Big Apple are invited, Ben and Annie._

_She's had lovers, boyfriends, one nightstands, but always at their place, never hers. She can never remember bringing a man up to her bedroom, it feels wrong somehow. In the end that's usually the final nail in the coffin of that relationship, when she won't allow them into her space. They get angry, they don't understand. Annie understands mostly, so she stays. Ben understands all, so Ben remains._

_Frigid. Loner. Prick tease. Frostbite bitch._

_She's heard it all, every nasty name and state for her cold-hearted approach. She never used to be like that, never used to be cold hearted in love and life. Once upon a time she was fun and joyful and loved riding and running and sex with someone she craved and loved. Now her bike is covered in dust, her work exhausts her so much she can't bear to run and sex is hollow, love is something that happens to other people._

_Loneliness is something she has grown used to. _

_Loving unconditionally doesn't end well; she has the scars to prove it._

_No post except bills, no calls on the home phone. If Ben wants her he'll come, if she needs him, he'll come. He's grown accustom to a seemingly psychic connection, and knows when she needs him the most. Her life is calm and empty, but exhausting at the same time. When she gets up there is nothing but routine. L.A. is even lonelier when Ben is away on business. _

_There are the rare mornings, however. When her phone does ring, and it's Wendell, and he wants a meeting._

_Tennis Court._

_And she smiles._

X

What Will Pope was not expecting when he got a call that morning was to see another side of Sharon Raydor. It had been a week since he had seen her last, and he had been trying to put her out of his head. It had worked, Brendan had had a recital and Caitlin had dragged him to see the _Hannah Montana _movie twice.

But now, summoned to a meeting by Chief Berrill at the Wilmington Tennis Courts, she was in his thoughts again as he saw her beat the crap out of the Chief, a former Princeton Champion. Wearing shorts, t-shirt and her hair in a ponytail, Sharon Raydor was sweating with effort, but Berrill looked like he had been boiled. She was smiling, she was happy. Will imagined that's how she'd look during sex, sweating but beautiful.

And wasn't that a thought that he had tried to avoid?

"Morning Pope, you okay?"

For a man in his late sixties, Wendell Berrill was definitely fit. But then again Sharon Raydor wasn't exactly unable either, and she managed to get in some amazing hits against her competitor. There was a grace to her movements, and Pope found himself watching her until the game stopped and Wendell was looking at him, amused.

"Stop staring Will, it's impolite."

The game finished with Sharon winning, and Wendell accepting defeat. The Chief crooked his finger and Pope walked to his side.

"You two play a game, I'm getting too tired to try and beat Raydor here."

Pope nodded and started to serve. She was very good, knew when to push and when to hold back. Something else he noticed, she really enjoyed tennis. It showed in her face how much she enjoyed playing. Even when he won a set, she was graceful, still smiling.

"I see he gets you up for early morning tennis too, huh?" Sharon asked, as they headed to the shower.

"Only once a month usually, you?"

"He used to do it once a week, but he's slacked off. He keeps wanting to come up with ideas that make the officers like FID."

"That'll be the day."

Shit. He had opened his mouth without thinking. But at least she wasn't yelling at him, she was actually smirking. "My thoughts exactly, but Wendell believes it'll happen."

Half an hour later, and Wendell was having them driven to work. Will was in his suit, thinking about his children left to get the bus to school again. Soon it would be the summer holidays, next week in fact, and Estelle would come to take them off for a wonderful two weeks. Sharon was staring out the window, her usual Armani suits replaced by a white blouse and plain black skirt. Will thought she looked like she was going to the Principal's office, or going to meet the family.

"Next Tuesday evening, drinks. I want your help on this Pope."

He nodded and grinned when he saw the Captain roll her eyes. Sharon smiled at both men before making her goodbyes as they parked. The skirt didn't even reach her knees, and Pope watched the tracks of her legs as they walked towards the station. There was a smack to his head, and Pope swivelled his eyes to see the lesser sight of Wendell Berrill.

"Eyes off her legs Will; she's not your type. Plus that's the last thing I need, my Assistant Chief screwing my head of FID."

X

It was late on Tuesday, and Pope had only just remembered drinks with Wendell. Waking past the FID offices, Will looked in to see the department. There were other officers from Internal Affairs who helped out, but the core five were still at their desks. Some of them had promising careers, but there were others who would never leave FID.

Jimmy Beatie was young, promising and would need to get out of FID before any transfer would leave him isolated. He would have to talk to Wendell about switching him to Vice or Hollywood Division. Claudia Belluci and Simon Stoker were like the FID's version of Flynn and Provenza, inseparable and unfortunately unable to move from the office. Claudia had been investigated by FID whilst working in the Gang Unit, and had been taught by Sharon to use her mouth instead of her fists. Simon liked working in FID; he believed in justice and thus wouldn't transfer (even though both he and the Chief had tried). Tony Williams liked working in FID too, like Simon he believed in justice but would probably be more suited to Major Crimes with his thinking.

That left Sharon Raydor. Forty-eight, not married and no kids. Had joined the force at twenty-seven after completing a degree in psycholinguistics at NYU. She had worked as a beat officer, then moved to the Gang Unit for five years where she had been irreplaceable at cutting crime from the New York influenced gangs. After that, she had been switched to Robbery/Homicide, and it had looked like it wouldn't be long before she joined Priority Homicide. With her degree in working out why people say what, she might have easily become the head of what was now Major Crimes under Taylor.

Where Brenda was.

Pope watched her through the window of her office, her chestnut coloured hair in a side ponytail. The printout that Tao had managed to get off the LAPD website told how Wendell had created the FID in 2001, and Sharon Raydor had been turned from a promising career to Internal Affairs. Will thought for a moment how different things would have been if Raydor had been in charge of Priority Homicide. Would Taylor and Flynn have started their tirade against Sharon - he thought not. Taylor's words on her suggested that she had been a pleasant enough officer until she joined FID. Would he have asked Raydor to do the deposition for his kids? Would the team be the same or would Belluci, Beatie, Stoker and Williams be sitting where Flynn, Gabriel, Provenza and Sanchez sat now?

"Chief?"

It was Stoker, a good kid, a nice officer if a little too blunt. He was bearing a baseball cap and jersey; he was on his way to a game. "You need anything Chief?" Williams joined his side, a Manchester City hat in his hand.

"I'm fine thank you gentlemen, just need to talk to Captain Raydor. Have a nice night."

Leaving the two men alone, he knocked on the door and entered when Sharon let him in. She gave him a quick smile. "You ready for drinks?"

"Yeah, just about."

"Wendell stopped by earlier, he was excited about something. You okay?"

Pope was staring again, he couldn't help it. Would he have fallen for Raydor like he fell again for Brenda? Would they have had an affair, ended up married or done what he and Brenda had done back in Washington? Would she have got married, would he pine for her like he did for Brenda? Like he did now?

"I'm fine."

"Good, then we should go. I've got to meet someone after."

The hotel bar was as nice as hotel bars go, and Will couldn't shake the thought of an illicit date. That was until he saw Brenda and Fritz in the adjoining restaurant, her traditional glass of merlot on the table to the side. They looked happy, and as he compared both women, Will realised that it wouldn't have mattered. He had always been in love with Brenda Leigh Johnson, and even if she hadn't come to L.A. that would still hold true.

"Great, you two are both here!"

Wendell beckoned them to a table, and ordered two dry Martinis and a Mojito. It wasn't until the drinks came that Will realised the cocktail was for Wendell, and the Martinis were for him and Raydor.

"I had a genius idea while on the green this morning. Instead of concentrating on the faults like the whole Webster issue, we celebrate our strengths. White tie ball, donations for entry that goes to the Veteran fund or something."

Sharon sipped her Martini. "It would be good for morale."

"But not so good for IA and FID's appearance? My thoughts exactly. So, it'll be a white tie ball with no ranks, no hierarchy. I know you want to get talking to your old partners again. Flynn and Taylor would love to talk to you again, I'm sure."

"I doubt that. Taylor and I don't get on any more."

Will looked over and saw sadness etched into her features. Sharon Raydor in that moment looked so alone, so frozen in feeling. Then it was gone. "But it's worth a shot. May help some of the younger officers."

"Okay, well that was easy! I'm thinking next Saturday; it would be good I think to have it then, as soon as possible."

They finished their drinks as they worked on another couple of ideas, before Sharon announced she had to leave. Both men stood up and walked her to the door where the Valet handed her the keys to her car. Will could hear giggling, and he looked to see Fritz and Brenda looking very happy as they headed out the door.

The couple stopped and made polite pleasantries, and Brenda even said hello to Raydor, who was polite back. The Captain then made her goodbyes and headed down the steps to what appeared to be the latest Ferrari. A man in the front with glasses waved at Wendell who waved back as Raydor drove off. Brenda and Fritz also left, Wendell stayed and Will drove home to find Caitlin and Brendan watching _Days of Our lives_ and Tommy locked in his room as soon as he heard his father's voice.

X

Black tuxedo, dry martini in hand, the kids with a babysitter, their neighbour who was happy to take them till morning as Tommy went out to his own party. Flynn, Provenza, Taylor and Gabriel were all by the bar, rank forgotten as they talked and mingled. The subjects ranged from women to sports to new cases and old. But Pope wasn't listening, he was too busy staring at Fritz and Brenda, who was wearing a very lovely pale pink dress and smiling like it was the fourth of July.

"You know, I remember long ago there were these two rising stars in my department," Taylor mused, making gestures with his hand. "I believed that these two could go so far, could do…well anything!"

"Oh jeez," Flynn muttered, noting that Taylor must have already had too much to drink if he was starting to reminisce. Much to Provenza's amusement, Taylor threw an arm around Flynn and started to gaze to the heavens. "So much promise!"

The group laughed at Taylor, and even Pope managed to join in. His eyes were still firmly fixed on Brenda and Fritz who couldn't keep their eyes off of each other.

"So who was the other rising star?" Gabriel asked, enjoying Flynn's discomfort no end.

"I'll tell you something Gabriel, if I had known she had legs like that when she worked back in Robbery Homicide, she wouldn't have left."

Will turned his eyes to the steps of the ornate ballroom and watched Sharon Raydor descend them. She wore a black dress that clung to her in all the right places. Her hair was thick and curly, resting on the wrap that adorned her shoulders. She looked up and caught his gaze washing over her, taking in her beauty and grace.

She had a smile like the sun.

He stepped forward and took her hand, gliding her down the remaining steps and near enough into his arms. He removed her wrap, revealing her bare neck and shoulders in pale skin, which contrasted wonderfully with the black dress. His fingers trailed down her arms, making her shiver.

"You look beautiful." And she did, beautifully shy and sweet as she stood in front of him.

"You look pretty dapper yourself there Will - Wendell said no ranks tonight," She added, seeing the look form on his face. He conceded, enjoying the use of his first name on her lips.

Smiling at the rest of the gang, Sharon said hello to a very drunk Taylor who seemed determined to stare down her cleavage as much as humanly possible. Flynn gave a little nod, staring her up and down before he moved his eyes away to Chief Johnson giggling as her husband tried to dip her. Provenza also eyed her up before his own girlfriend Lauren joined him, and then he most definitely kept his eyes on his girl. Tao gave a brief wave, and then returned to talking to Gabriel and Sanchez. After a brief welcome, everyone looked away from her (the leering Taylor didn't count) except for Pope.

"Would you like a drink?"

Sharon nodded and they moved to the open bar, which she could see Flynn was avoiding. He was trying to persuade Provenza to leave his silk clad woman and go get him a Cranberry juice and soda, but his friend wasn't having any of it. He was too busy enjoying his younger girlfriend.

"Two Martinis and a Cranberry juice and soda please," Sharon asked at the bar, deciding to take pity on him for old times sake.

On their way to claim a table, Sharon passed Flynn the drink. He smiled gratefully, and nodded to her. A very long time ago they might have been considered friends, they both loved baseball (although Sharon's New York roots meant she loved the Yankees) and they had even gone on a couple of dates. However, her move to Internal Affairs had left their relationship cold and it hadn't recovered.

"So I'm surprised you came - didn't seem like your sort of thing," Will stated, taking a sip of his drink.

Sharon chuckled, conceding to his thoughts. "Yeah it really isn't. To be honest I'd rather be home working on my bike - at least I don't have to make conversation with that."

"Bike?"

"I like motorbikes, cars; I'm a real grease monkey."

Will looked at her, his soft smile bright. In the soft lighting of the room he could tell she was blushing at her revelation. "Well I guess there's more to you than I realised."

"Hmm…yes. You'll certainly see a new side to me if Taylor keeps staring at my legs."

X

It would have been the perfect evening. She was well dressed, in a dress that Annie seemed to think would hook her a man (she had tried to ignore the 'finally' attached to that sentence). Alcohol seemed to lubricate the conversational wheels and for the first time in four years she was actually talking to Flynn. Taylor was nursing a headache with Tao, but they had talked briefly too. Her team had gone their separate ways to mingle with old friends after a quick hello. Two Captains had asked her to dance, and Will Pope had never left her side. If only his attention had been on her though, it had been firmly placed on Johnson and her husband. It was probably a bit too much to ask for the only person that could seem to stand her would at least talk to her.

"I'll see you later Pope, okay?"

He looked up at her. "Where are you going?"

She sighed. "Personally I would rather have some conversation than watch you gaze longingly at Chief Johnson all night. See you later."

Sharon walked away and he didn't follow her. She didn't try to deny that spending time with him recently had been enjoyable, especially as they seemed to have turned a corner. But he still couldn't focus on her instead of Johnson. It was no matter, things would return to a more civil version of what they had before. And she was fine with that; friendships with colleagues never seemed to work with her anyway.

It was pathetic how much she had enjoyed working with him and mocking Wendell in a friendly way. It was almost like she had a friend at work.

"Is this seat taken?" Sharon didn't recognise the cop, but she could recognise the strong jaw and muscled arms he possessed. Tonight wasn't about rank or what they did at Parker Centre, it was about enjoying yourself and letting go. And she needed to let go.

"No, its not."

X

His name was Ted; he was a cop in Hollywood Division and lived up in the hills. He was funny, and he definitely had all of his attention on her. "Party's winding down."

Sharon looked around and realised they had been talking for nearly half an hour. Most of the older officers had gone home. She could see Taylor being carried up the steps by Flynn and Provenza, Lauren a few steps behind them. She turned to Ted with his pretty brown eyes and rested a hand on his upper arm. "I've really enjoyed talking with you tonight Ted."

"Me too. I know this seems kinda forward, but do you maybe want to go get something to eat with me? Then maybe go back to my place?"

Sharon thought it over for a moment. Ted was nice, cute and it had been a while since she had slept with anyone. The ball was a chance for all the LAPD to be under one unit, not individuals. Maybe for one night she could be like everyone else and just put herself forward into some fun. "Okay."

She stood up from the bar, and Ted leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "Guess you're not so frigid after all."

Raucous laughter filled her ears, and Sharon saw some Hollywood cops laughing at her. Ted was also grinning, but it was an evil grin, full of humiliation. "Just a little payback for what you did to our boy Webster. As for our after dinner arrangements, screw you, you little -" his tirade stopped and Sharon looked to her left to see Will Pope standing behind her looking ready to kill Ted with his bare hands.

"Danson, little word of advice. Webster is a scumbag and anyone who thinks differently will not only get on my bad side, but also will be demoted and transferred to traffic. Are we clear?" His hands were on his hips, and fury was carved into his face. Sharon had never seen Will Pope so furious before, she had always seen him as a bit of a doormat.

"Yes sir."

Danson and his cronies left muttering about Pope and her, and leaving Sharon flustered in their wake. How could she be so damn stupid? She knew what the officers around her were like, she should have known better. Pope stood in front of her, her knight in shining armour and she felt even worse. "I should have known that it wouldn't work."

"What do you mean?"

He turned to her, his hands resting on her upper arms to keep her steady. She bowed her head and smiled sadly. "Did you really think that if we threw a big party and everyone was equal for one night that they'd stop hating FID? Stop hating me? People don't change after one night, Pope. Tomorrow, Flynn and Taylor will still loathe me, and us talking tonight for the first time in four years won't change that. I think I'm going to go home."

She went to walk away, walk out and walk home, but Pope grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, a bit shakily but into his arms nevertheless. "Don't go. We haven't even danced yet."

From her position, Sharon could see that Brenda and her FBI husband were still there, but all of Pope's attention was on her. "You may be right, about me and Brenda. I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you with a dance?"

"It wasn't as if you were my date."

"No, but you were sitting next to me."

She laughed, and he started to smile. "Okay, since you've twisted my arm."

It was a kind of surreal experience, dancing with Will Pope. The song was slow, and there were very few couples left in the room. Her head rested in the crook of his neck, his hand playing with strands of her hair. They twirled to the music, like kids at a dance. It was nice. "For what it's worth, I don't hate you."

"Not anymore."

"Well, no. Grease monkey." Pope yelped as Sharon hit his upper arm. They laughed and continued to dance, entwined in each other slowly until the song ended.

X

"I can't remember the last time I stayed up until two in the morning!" Sharon exclaimed as she and Will walked down the quieter streets of Los Angeles, heels off and bowtie undone. After their dance, they had drunk Martinis and talked until they were the only ones left in the ballroom. They were a little tipsy, but being very quiet about it, lest the neighbours call the police.

"With kids you don't get to do a lot of that."

"How many do you have?"

She watched as his face lit up, filled with pride. "Three. Caitlin is nine, Brendan is ten. They're from my esteemed second wife Estelle. Tommy's eighteen; he goes to school in Washington, lives with his mother, my first wife. He doesn't really like me."

Sharon threaded her fingers though Will's, who squeezed back gratefully. "The job, the people, the women I choose to date. It's something I never thought I'd experience, being hated by my own son."

It was a comfort thing. Nothing more than that. She just wanted him to smile again, to see his eyes light up. Sharon pressed her lips lightly to his, barely touching skin at all before moving around to his side again. "At least you're there for him. My mother left my Dad and me when I was two. At least he knows you love him, even if he doesn't want you to."

Another light kiss, lips resting against each other, sharing the cold air between them. "We shouldn't do this."

He kissed her this time, kissing the corner of her mouth, her bottom lip. "Probably not."

Her hands rested on the lapels of his dinner jacket, his own were on the small of her back. The smallest of kisses, light caresses as alcohol fuelled their senses and blocked out all consequences, just focussing on the now. Will's mouth hesitated by Sharon's, before his lips slid over hers in a series of quick kisses. "How far away is your place?"

"Two blocks."

"Yours is closer."

Somehow, Sharon knew that going back to her house wasn't the best idea. But then Pope moved her hair to nibble on her neck and she couldn't think anymore. They walked the two blocks slowly, breaking up the walking with languid kisses in the warm L.A. dawn. They finally managed to reach the doorway of her house without embarrassing themselves.

"You know a lot of people don't get the police way of things. I remember that Flynn and Provenza laughed at me about it, but the force needs justice…"

"To protect and serve shouldn't be just words."

Will pushed her up against the wall of her foyer, pressing his mouth insistently on hers. Sharon groaned as his tongue slipped inside her mouth, caressing hers, languishing over her lips. His hands moved down her dress, cupping her breasts, stroking her stomach. Her own pulled off his dinner jacket and dropped it to the floor. He held her as they kissed.

Her bedroom was the same as when she had left it early the evening before. There were still clothes on the floor, her trainers by the bed. Will dipped her down on the soft duvet, his fingers and mouth stroking the hollow of her throat, the crescent of her breasts.

"What's that?"

Sharon slid out of Will's grasp and followed where he was looking. There was a cigarette burn at the crease of her elbow. "I had a boyfriend, my first boyfriend actually. He wasn't a very nice guy, he did things that were…it's been over for a very long time, and yet somehow I can't seem to forget."

He kissed the inside of her elbow, drawing his tongue over the small scar. She groaned at the touch. "He shouldn't have done that."

Her dress ended up on the floor, and Will ran his hands over her pale skin, teasing her nipples and stroking her thighs. His own clothing lay to the side, and it wasn't long before they were touching each other and smiling hazily.

"You're beautiful." He nuzzled her neck before pinning her hands above her head as he entered her, making her moan. She shifted against him, wanting him deeper, wanting him holding her. She sighed as he kissed her neck, thrusting into her with vigour. The alcohol was wearing off, the cold night air and the gentleness of their lovemaking dizzying but awakening their senses.

_If he calls out Johnson's name, I'll kill him, _Sharon thought drowsily as her hips bucked with her release. "Will…"

"Sharon…" Will sighed as his own release came, and she smiled, her body sated. He slid off her and lay beside her, calm. They fell asleep, sweaty and entwined as the Californian sun crept in through the curtains and covered the room in a morning tableau of peace.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

I do not own _The Closer _or any of its characters, or its settings. The FID team is of my creation, as is Captain Raydor's backstory, but the rest belongs to the lovely folks at TNT.

_Nightmares are a usual thing for her; in fact there is never a night that she doesn't stir in her sleep. She never had a mother to stroke her head as she woke, sweaty and scared. But then, she didn't need a rosy-cheeked mother to whisper platitudes and give her milk and cookies as she came in from school. She had her father, and he was all she needed. There were human monsters on the streets, but as long as there was Mickey Raydor and his gun by the door, she knew she was safe._

_Most of her nightmares are the same, being face down in cold water, her back wet and raw with blood. She can hear Ben's voice in the background, but he can't reach her, can't come for her. He gives up, leaves her in the squalor and filth. She can feel hot breath on the back of her neck, and she knows the pain will come again. _

_Some involve being shot by random members of the LAPD, especially those in Major Crimes. When she has those, she usually spends the day in her office, not wanting to bump into anyone. _

_She sometimes has dreams where she just sits at a table, eating her dinner and everything is covered in a thick spray of blood. As she eats and drinks, she notices the bodies of police officers, victims, and co-workers…all dead. She continues to eat until the tears mix with the blood. It always ends the same, with her picking up her service pistol and shooting herself in the head. _

_Whenever she has a nightmare, she always wakes up alone. Screaming, sweating, desperate to run downstairs and talk to her father. But there is no one to run to, and holding her own gun at the kitchen table doesn't have the same feel to it. Usually she has a pounding shower; a bath makes her think too much._

_NYU t-shirt, board shorts and ray bans, she goes down to the beach and sits by the sea. If she had grown up in Los Angeles, she is sure that she would love surfing and swimming instead of her obsession with fast cars and motorbikes. It's Sunday mornings, when no one is around, that she loves. Its quiet, she can reflect on her nightmares and feel at peace with things. _

_It's not often that she wakes up on a Sunday morning with someone. Someone to cry to, someone to hold on to. It rarely happens; she never lets anyone into her space. Her ritual of the beach is always undisturbed, however much she might want it to be. _

_It's not often there is someone to hold her close as she screams._

_X_

"Sharon…Sharon!"

_She can feel hands on her, and she wants to push them away as she knows they'll hurt her. _

Sharon's eye's snapped open at the sound of her name, her head pounding and her pulse racing. She could feel the sweat covering her body and realised she must have had another nightmare. But it wasn't _his _hands on her skin, they were Will Pope's and he looked terrified that he had hurt her. He hadn't, the injuries and scars had been there long before she had ever met Will Pope.

"Sharon?"

Her nightmare was harsh, a flashback, a memory but for one second she thought she was back in the warehouse from all those years ago. Sharon looked at him, and rested her head on his shoulder. She was okay, she was safe. Tears ran down her face as she clung to him. He held her tight, letting her sob onto his chest. This felt so good; to be held by someone as she woke up.

It was only when she pulled away that she realised that they were both naked. Her chest was pressed against his, and she could feel her bare skin resting against his own equally bare flesh. She could feel the warmth of his body against hers, his cool breath tickling the hair on her neck.

"Are you okay?" Memories of last night flooded into her brain: of them dancing, of them drinking, of his mouth pressing harder against hers. With their current state, Sharon was pretty sure that they had slept together, which made things slightly more complicated than just waking up naked with him. She needed to say something, sort the situation out somehow. But sort it out how? He had already seen her scars, seen how damaged she was.

But he had stayed the night. That had to count for something.

"Sometimes…I get nightmares," she admitted, still in his arms, still naked in front of him. The last time she had been naked in front of a man, well she couldn't remember. It was almost always dark and she never actually _slept _with them, that level of familiarity and vulnerability she was unable to offer. She turned her back and head if only to get a little modesty, forgetting that her front was the less vulnerable side.

"About these?" He ran his finger down her spine, and she shivered. He traced the scars he found embedded on her skin, shocking white lines against already pale skin. There was a great deal of them, little white cuts all over her back in a random but vicious pattern.

"You remember that boyfriend I told you about last night?"

"Yes."

"Well it wasn't only cigarette burns he left."

She was shaking, scared at being so open in front of him. The couple of boyfriends she had dated had seen the scars on her elbows and knees, the burns. No one but Ben and Annie had seen the scars on her back, and she wasn't comfortable whatsoever showing them to Will Pope.

But then he pressed his mouth onto her back, against each scar, kissing each one tenderly in a moment of peace. His hand reached over and cradled hers, keeping her fingers tight in his. Will's mouth moved up to her neck and rested his head along hers, kissing the skin he found and cocooning her. "Tell me last night was a mistake."

In the warm light of day, with his body holding hers so gently, she couldn't. "Mistake maybe isn't the right word." He had stayed. He had stayed.

Such a simple pleasure, being kissed. His mouth was so light on hers, like a fresh summer breeze that she couldn't help but be carried away with him.

X

The bath was unusual for her, but she wanted to see if Pope - Will - stayed. He may have stayed the night, but there was no guarantee that he would stay longer than that. She scrubbed every part of her and washed her hair. By the time she had slipped into her NYU t-shirt and shorts, he wasn't in her bedroom. However, he hadn't gone as she could hear the smoke alarm blaring. Rushing downstairs, she saw Will Pope on her kitchen table trying to remove a battery and cover his ears at the same time.

"If you fall, I'm not catching you," Sharon announced, startling him. She turned down the hobs to stop more smoke billowing off of what once had been bacon. She then joined him up on the table with her handy baseball bat and hit the alarm so it stopped beeping. Swinging it round like a pro, she stood on the table with the bat on her shoulder, grinning.

"Nicely done."

"It's a knack. I used to play softball back in High School"

Will clamoured off the table and reached for Sharon who graciously took his arm. Both on the floor, both in each other's arms, both still reeling from waking up naked with the other. Sharon ran her hand down his arm, enjoying how he felt under her fingers. He smiled. "I tried to make you breakfast. Thought it was the least I could do after taking advantage of you."

"You didn't take advantage, I was pretty complicit in all activities last night," she blushed.

He smiled again, releasing her out of his arms. "Either way, I just wanted to make you breakfast."

Sharon ducked her head, she wasn't used to this sort of male treatment and she was finding it hard not to blush. But then it was well known that Will Pope was a charmer. "Well…thank you."

Will let her rescue breakfast, move around the kitchen and pour two cups of black coffee to wake them up and alleviate the slight hangover they were both experiencing. As she did so, Will had a quick look at her house, the kitchen led right onto the foyer, and he could see a lounge across it. He hadn't been so focussed on architecture the night before; he'd had more important things on his mind.

"Lovely house."

Sharon grinned at the small talk as he joined her at the kitchen table. "Thank you. I used to live here when I was a kid, then we moved to New York."

"Why'd you move? The better question might be, why'd you move back?"

She put down the mug she was drinking from. "My father just wanted to get out of LA, and as for me, the NYPD didn't have as much hold as the LAPD did."

They ate the rest of breakfast in near silence, their grins being felt across the table. Once they had finished eating, Will looked at his watch and grimaced at the time. "Estelle is due to pick the kids up in an hour, I better get going."

"Okay."

Sharon walked him to the door, Will still wearing the clothes he was in the night before. They stood at the door, neither one of them ready to make the next move.

"So what happens Monday?"

Sharon took a step forward. "Monday we're back to being colleagues, friends if you want."

"I'd like that."

"Good." He looked so perfect rumpled, his shirt creased and undone. He looked so imperfect that he was just perfect. Sharon ran her hand up what she could feel of his bare chest, securing it around his neck and bringing him down to her lips for a searing kiss. When they broke away, Will gave her an enquiring glance. "It isn't Monday yet."

He laughed and kissed her lightly on the lips. "See you back at work, Captain. I had a lovely evening."

"Thank you Chief; so did I."

She closed the door on Will Pope and slid to the floor. What was she thinking? First sleeping with him and then kissing him! When had she ever been that stupid? Getting her phone out of her pocket, she scrolled down until she found Annie's name. She needed advice.

X

Annie Redman was forty-eight, with blonde hair, glasses and a bright smile. She was a realtor with a massive firm, and thus found she needed to do what she could to stay alive in that business. Sharon had known Annie since they were both fourteen, being best friends since High School. When she had returned to New York after a brief stint in Florida with her now ex boyfriend, Annie and Sharon had recovered their strong friendship, enough that when Sharon returned to LA to join the LAPD, Annie followed.

They were on the Santa Monica Pier, having visited Otto's Deli for a sandwich. Annie had been waiting for Sharon to tell her what was going on ever since she had called, but her friend hadn't said a word.

Finally, the silence was broken. "I hooked up with a guy last night," Sharon admitted, much to Annie's happiness.

"That's great sweetheart! Who is he? I want to know everything!" Annie was so excited. Sharon supposed that she didn't get a lot of gossip from her friend - but then Sharon had always preferred to talk about bikes than boys.

Sharon moved a strand of hair out of her face and looked out over the ocean. "He's my boss."

"Oh that's not so bad. He cute?"

She rolled her eyes and followed it up with a look to her friend. "He is my boss, as in Assistant Chief of the LAPD. I'm part of Internal Affairs, I have to be impartial…then there's the whole rank thing…" She continued to ramble for a while, every doubt she had had about her relationship with Will coming out.

"Sharon. Stop." Annie gave her friend a little hug. "It's not the end of the world. Anyway, I'm dating my boss."

So typical Annie. "Hon, your boss is married."

"He says he'll leave her."

Even going through what they went through, Annie was still pretty naïve when it came to the world. Especially when it came to men. "I love you Annie, I really do."

Annie punched her friend playfully on the arm, sensing her tone. "So tell me about this guy. Married? Cute? Kids?"

Sharon sighed. She looked out on the waves and once again wished she had learnt to surf. "He's divorced. Twice. Three kids between both marriages, and…he's very handsome."

Annie squealed beside her, happy that there was a man besides her brother in her life. "You going to see him again?"

"Sure, tomorrow morning when I blush bright red in the middle of Parker Centre. I took him home as well, he tried to make me breakfast and set off the smoke alarm."

Both women giggled as they headed down to an ice cream parlour. Although she was no closer to figuring out what she was going to do when she saw Will Pope the next day, at least she had had a conversation with Annie that had some semblance of normal girl talk to it.

X

Will sat down at the kitchen table, relishing the silence in the house. Estelle had picked up Caitlin and Brendan, her new husband waiting in the car. He was in his mid thirties, with a strong jaw and shoulder length hair. Will could see why he would appeal to Estelle, a highflying businessman with more money than sense.

Two weeks without the kids. He'd miss waking up to the Disney channel in the morning, seeing them come in from school and make snacks. Brendan liked sandwiches, about three layers with half a jar of mayonnaise in between. Caitlin preferred to have the traditional milk and cookies, her mother sent them from San Francisco although she did like to make her own. Even though they'd only been gone an hour, he missed his kids.

"Bitch gone yet?" Of course there was still one child present. Tommy Pope, son of his first wife Jean. He lived in Washington DC with his mother, her husband Steve and their three kids. Ever since his divorce in 1997, Tommy had lived with his mother, purposely avoiding any contact with his unfaithful father. When he had divorced Estelle, Tommy had started staying in LA for a couple of weeks a year. Now his eldest son had finished High School and was going off to study medicine at Harvard.

"Yeah, bout an hour ago."

"That's nice." Tommy got a can of coke out of the fridge and popped it open, looking at his father. "You got back early this morning. You hook up with someone?"

Will froze, not sure if he was comfortable to be having this conversation with his son. "Maybe."

"As long as you didn't hook up with that bitch Johnson, I'll be happy."

"Brenda is not a bitch. I don't appreciate the language either."

Tommy made a disgruntled noise and headed towards the kitchen door. It was the same tired argument, and he was exhausted from it. Will shouted after him. "You know I don't even know why you're here if you hate it so much!"

His son snorted and turned back around to face his father. "You think I want to be here? Mom made me - she wanted me to spend one last summer with you in LA. When I go to Harvard at the end of the summer, Steve is going to be the one I tell people is my Dad. He's gonna take me down there, pick me up, come to my graduation ceremony. God knows he's earned that right more than you have. Mom thinks that if I stay here, then we'll keep in touch when I go back. I say she's insane. I could spend a whole year with you, and still hate you for what you did to our family."

The glass Will was holding smashed in his hand as his son went up to his room.

X

Numb.

That's how he felt. Numb.

What's more, he had no one to call. All of the friends he had acquired in LA were his and Estelle's, and at the announcement of the divorce, the two had seen who their true friends were. Either way, not being married anymore had impacted on his participation in certain social events so he had just lost touch with them all. He had girlfriends, rare as they were and not entirely suitable to bring home: blonde, intelligent, stubborn and always in a relationship. Male friends were even rarer, as he had advanced up the career ladder most of them had fell by the wayside. Taylor was a colleague, as was the Chief.

He felt pathetic, sitting alone, eating lunch in an expensive restaurant. Wine for one, food for one.

"Chief Pope! I didn't expect to see you here!"

Brenda Leigh Johnson, in his mind the one that got away. Of course they worked together now and that made things harder to hold a decent relationship, especially as her husband and family disliked him immensely. With her were Fritz and their niece Charlie. A lovely arrangement. The only thing that could make the lunch any worse would be if Clay and Willie Rae Johnson were in town visiting their daughter.

"You eating lunch by yourself?" Fritz smirked, and Will couldn't miss it. Fritz had never especially liked him, even more so when he realised that his wife's former lover still carried a torch for her.

"No…my guest is just a little late," Will lied, trying to rack his brains to see who he could covertly text under the table to join him for lunch. If there was one thing he had learned being the Assistant Chief is that you always had to save face. And he wouldn't let Fritz Howard get the better of him.

"Well, we'll join you until they do."

He couldn't get out of it, he had to text someone to come over now or risk being made a fool of. There was an empty seat opposite him, with Fritz and Charlie dragging seats over to sit by him, leaving Brenda sort of opposite. Sometimes she just took his breath away, and today was one of those days.

Fifteen minutes later, and with no sign of anyone the waiter was getting impatient. Both Fritz and Charlie had figured out the truth and were struggling to hold their laughter in. Brenda was just oblivious to the whole situation, instead trying to use her phone to deal with the current case she had. Will was about to call it a day when he heard heels on the linoleum floor and turned to see Sharon Raydor coming up to them.

"Sorry I'm late Chief, but I had a few problems with Belluci and her paperwork." Will could have, in that moment, kissed her. In fact, with her hair up in a ponytail and wearing a skirt with an almost see through blouse, he still could.

"No problem Captain. Chief Johnson and her family were just keeping me company."

He watched Brenda give Sharon a venomous smile, and to his credit Fritz moved round to sit next to his wife. The waiter, ecstatic that all their party had arrived, took their orders and went away quickly. The same could not be said for the Johnson-Howard party however, who remained.

"So why are you two meeting?" Brenda asked, buttering a bread roll with vigour.

Will's mind went blank, but thankfully Sharon spoke up. "We're having a business lunch - trying to help out FID with its reputation and budgets."

Brenda cleared her throat. "I have an excellent way to get more money for your department. Haven't got an exact figure though - Captain Raydor exactly how much do you earn?"

Fritz choked on his drink, and Will watched as Sharon's face went pale before answering. "Probably more than Agent Howard here."

Brenda looked like she was about to respond, but their appetisers arrived and she took a sip of her wine instead. Fritz and Will both sighed. It was going to be a long meal.

X

"See you later Will! Captain Raydor."

As Brenda Leigh Johnson, her husband and her niece drove off; Sharon Raydor started to giggle nervously, causing Will Pope to chuckle too.

The lunch hadn't been that horrendous. Will and Sharon did talk about how the ball had gone, followed by little ideas to help unity within the department such as staff rotation and seminars. Charlie had remained very quiet, picking at her food. Brenda had voiced some of her ideas, all negative but Fritz came up with a couple of good suggestions. But eventually it was over and Sharon and Will were left alone.

"So tell me…how did you know to save my ass?" Will asked and Sharon smiled.

"I was having a drink at the bar before I got something to eat when I heard one of the waiters say that Mr Pope had told his friends that he was waiting for someone when is table was only reserved for one. I looked over, saw Chief Johnson and figured you'd appreciate a hand."

"Well I do, thank you. How do you know Howard?" Will asked, thinking back to the dinner.

"I used to work in the Gang unit, still have friends in both the LAPD and the FBI from working there. I've met him a couple of times."

"Ah. So…where are you headed?"

Sharon grinned. "I've got the afternoon off, so I was going to head down to the beach for ice cream."

Will nodded, trying not to think of Sharon Raydor in a bathing suit. "Mind if I tag along? I'll even buy your ice cream."

Sharon chuckled before nodding. "Sure."

They took his car to the beach, on her afternoons off Sharon left her car at home and either walked or took a cab. They ended up on Manhattan Beach, and before Will had even locked the car, Sharon had changed out of her skirt into shorts and flip flips.

"Are you always prepared for the beach?"

"I live in LA, of course I am."

The sun was high in the sky and there were plenty of sun worshippers on the shore. They made it to the ice cream stand quickly, but by then Will had to lose his jacket and tie due to the heat. Sharon just smiled in her shorts and short-sleeved blouse. Will paid for the ice cream; plain vanilla for him; and Sharon (obviously an ice cream connoisseur) had two scoops of Belgian chocolate ice cream with a chocolate flake and a wafer cone.

"You like your ice cream."

Sharon grinned, moving her tongue around the rich chocolate ice cream to stop it sliding off. "I live for ice cream. That used to be my favourite part of living in LA. New York doesn't do ice cream so much, so when we lived here my Dad used to treat me to an ice cream every time he had an afternoon off work."

She found it easy to talk to Will Pope, maybe because he was open to listening. They continued to walk down the beach, and he was hypnotised by how she was eating her ice cream. Not because it was sexual, but because she had a tendency to get it all over her fingers and her chin.

"My God, you're worse than my daughter eating ice cream."

"Thanks."

Will grabbed her hand and turned her to him. He pulled out his handkerchief and wiped the ice cream off her chin. He then did the same with her nose, pulling the fabric gently over her skin. "There, you look all clean."

She giggled. Will found that in the right setting, Sharon Raydor was quite fun to be around. "Thank you. This is why I eat ice cream alone, although this time it wasn't my entire fault. You were distracting me."

"Likely story."

"You were! You put me off!"

Ice cream finished, Will thought they would head back to the car, but instead they walked towards the sea. "No…no Sharon!"

Her giggle was infectious, and soon they were by the water's edge, Sharon kicking off her flip-flops. Her shorts were knee length, so her bare calves were cloth free as she hit the cold water. "Get in. It's lovely and warm!"

"No, I'm not getting in! _I _have to go back to work this afternoon."

"Come on - you can't go to the beach without a dip!"

"You said just ice cream, no water involved!"

She was laughing at his reluctance to get into the water, and with the sun behind her she looked beautiful. Giving into the pretty woman in front of him, Will started rolling up his trouser legs. Tired of waiting, Sharon grabbed his arm to bring him in quicker. Unfortunately, that put the Assistant Chief off balance, which resulted in him landing bottom first into the cold sea water, soaking his trousers and shirt. All his companion could do, however, was giggle.

"You think that's funny Captain, do you?" Will stood up and grabbed the still laughing Raydor around the waist and brought her toppling down on him, soaking her too.

When he had managed to see the funny side of the situation, Will offered her his hand and dragged her out of the water. Their bodies were pressed together as neither one wanted to topple back into the water. Their clothes were wet and sticking to them.

"You're wet."

"So are you Captain."

The noise of the beach seemed to quieten, and Sharon could feel every part of Will Pope pressed against her. They were supposed to be just friends, colleagues, but maybe some of that alcohol was still left over from Saturday or the sun was affecting their brains. It didn't matter what it was, but the chemistry was still there. She felt her eyes close, and Will's body lean into hers until the familiar sound of a beeper broke the mood. Opening her eyes, she saw Will was frustratingly looking at his beeper.

"Chief wants to see me."

Sharon gave a weak smile. "Go on. I've taken up too much of your time already. You may want to dry off though, before you see him."

He laughed and looked down at his attire. "Good idea. You need a ride?"

"I'll grab a cab. I want to unwind on the surf for a bit longer. Thank you for a lovely afternoon Chief, we'll have to do it again soon."

He nodded at the measured words. Back to normality. He stepped forward and kissed Sharon lightly on the cheek. "I had a lovely afternoon too, Sharon. Enjoy your sun."

They both went their separate ways, but neither of them was left with any doubt that they would be thinking of the other, and that they would be thinking of them too.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_I do not own __The Closer __or any of its characters, or its settings. The FID team is of my creation, as is Captain Raydor's back story, but the rest belongs to the lovely folks at TNT._

_Relationships had never been her forte. After the assault, she had gone to see a counsellor, i.e. a paid professional who told her how screwed up she was, like she didn't know. Doctor Goldstein had pinpointed the moment where her relationships seemed to falter, both professional and personal, romantic and platonic. He believed that her mother running out on her and her father at such an early age had prevented her from ever experiencing a normal, stable, relationship._

_It was a load of crap._

_Sharon had never been without love, her father always caring for her no matter what. She didn't need a mother, didn't need _her _mother. She had only seen her once since Faye Raydor had walked out on her husband and her two year old child. She had only known it to be her mother because her beloved Grandmother had bristled beside her. Even then she didn't want her daughter, ignoring her presence and just walking past. She had a new family, with a new husband and new kids. She had forgotten the one she had left behind in New York. _

_She didn't need her._

_Sam had been her first big love, with those chocolate brown eyes, strong arms and a love of bikes that rivalled her own. She had been fourteen when she had met him, and had fallen head over heels. They had left Los Angeles the year before, and starting High School with Sam the senior as her boyfriend was a good way to fit in. Even her father had approved of Sam, but then there was nothing he wouldn't have approved of. He loved bikes, loved his daughter and that was that._

_He had broken her back, and her heart._

_Through college she was thought of as a lesbian, but then she was a mature student anyway and didn't feel like hanging out with that sort of crowd. She preferred Annie and Ben and the New York skyline and the snow. There was no snow in Los Angeles, and her first Christmas at thirteen had been magical. It had stuck with her, the magic of New York, as she left for the LAPD but she always came back to New York for Christmas. Back in the sun, she had never gotten emotionally invested with any of her colleagues, never going for a drink or enjoying the invites to Dodgers games. _

_He had a smile that made her go weak._

_Andrew Flynn, the golden boy of Robbery/Homicide had helped her out when she had first joined. He had his own problems, and so did she, so they were fairly well matched. He was cute, funny and she liked spending time with him. They went on a few dates, always ending with them making out in the back seat of his car like two horny teenagers. They had been…for the first time since she could be counted as a teenager, she had opened up and actually enjoyed another's company. _

_Both Judas' to Taylor's Jesus, both for different reasons. _

_She had never been a girly girl. Never liked make up or dresses or shoes. She had never fit into any boxes, which was why she got a box on her own._

_She gets on with Annie; she is loyal to Ben and vice versa, a bond that could not be stronger even if they were brother and sister. Otto and his family are family and the Chief is like that protective friend of your fathers that gets you a job and keeps you away from the leering members of staff. Everything else is screwed up, or will be screwed up because it always happens like that._

_But there is a relationship she wants. She knows she can't proceed with it, knows she can't kiss him in the corridors or smile brightly when she seems him. Can't fall for him deeply, no matter how much she wants to. How much she wants him._

_That's just the way its gotta be._

X

"So how has work been?" Ben asked as Sharon handed him the mash potatoes.

"Yeah it's been okay." Of course it hadn't really been okay. Every time she had seen Will Pope she had felt like blushing bright red, or slamming him against the wall and kissing him senseless. She was scared of how she was feeling for the man, even more so because she wasn't used to it. But then maybe it was because he seemed to actually get her – figure out the real Raydor, rather than the mask. Maybe because he had accepted her scars and responded to her more for them.

"That Chief Johnson giving you anymore trouble?"

Sharon made fork patterns in her potatoes. "No _Dad_, she's not giving me any trouble. But if she does, shall I run home and ask you to sort it out for me?"

Ben rolled his eyes. "You could tell the Chief. Wendell's a good guy, he'll stick by you."

"Wendell – is he the one that likes golf?" Annie asked from her end of the dining room table, and Sharon nodded. That man was always at the Green, or always at the Court. Once going for dinner at his house, she had seen his very own pair of bowling shoes.

It was their once a week dinner, but this time the air was tense. Annie had had an argument with her boss/boyfriend and it looked like things were over between them. However, no matter how many times Sharon had told her it was a _good _thing, she was still upset. Ben had been working on some software that was going to stop viruses, or crack into the FBI mainframe, Sharon was never sure with her conspiracy theorist brother. As for her, Sharon knew that Annie was desperate to let Ben into the secret that Sharon had finally found a guy she could tolerate, but she had been sworn to secrecy. Ben was a little too overprotective sometimes.

"So, there's this great guy I met at work, he's called Tom…" It was Sharon's turn to roll her eyes then. At school, Ben had been teased thoroughly, but thanks to his intelligence he had managed to get some shares in a small software company. He now owned the America wide business, and was quite wealthy. Unlike most men with his bank balance, Ben spent his money on evidence trying to prove how JFK was assassinated, or the Princess Diana incident.

"He sounds nice."

Sharon smiled. "I don't think he's quite my type." She was thinking about Will again, sinking in the sea water, dragging his handkerchief across her nose, so close to his lips. Body pressed against each other, low moans as hips met…

She was broken from her thoughts when Ben's glass banged on the table. He was looking at her with an amused expression at her daydreaming. "I was thinking about for Annie."

"Oh."

Ben's expression moved from amused to annoyed. "You seeing someone then? Someone more your _type_?" Sharon knew she was on dangerous ground. Going any further would be problematic, and thankfully Annie was keeping her mouth shut.

"Nope. No one." She smiled, and saw the tension defuse in his eyes.

Ben took another sip of his water. "Good. Now, Annie, what did you bring for desert?" His smile grinned as she talked about the thick chocolate cheesecake she had brought, a speciality of hers.

It probably would have been the end of it, had the phone not started to ring. As per dinner manners, Sharon didn't get up to answer it, although when she heard the message she wanted to run right over and pick it up, then put it down.

"_Sharon? It's Will…Pope. Chief Pope? Listen, I really enjoyed last Tuesday, even if we both got all wet, so I was wondering if you wanted to catch some lunch sometime this week? Okay, good. I'll talk to you later. Bye. It's…Pope, by the way."_

Ben's face had come over by what Sharon called his 'Sherlock Holmes' look. She winced and Annie made her way up to get the cheesecake, not wanting to be part of the inevitable blowout.

"Sit, Annie. Not dating anyone huh?"

Sharon moved her hair behind her ears and took a gulp of her wine. "We're not dating. We ended up getting a bit to eat last week and then we went to the beach. Simple as."

"I thought you two slept together as well?"

Sharon gave Annie a death glare, which made her sit back at the table. She always was caught in the middle when she and Ben fought, and it wasn't really fair. However, when she blurted things out like that, Sharon was sort of glad. "We weren't going to mention that."

Ben spluttered on his water and turned to his sister. "You slept with this guy?"

"And he's her boss." Annie piped up. "What? I'm tired of everyone picking on my love life!"

Ben rolled away from the table, placing his napkin on the table. "I thought we agreed that when you dated, we'd talk to each other about it!"

Sharon made a disgruntled noise. "What right do you have to interfere in my love life? Or rather constant lack of one?"

Annie took a big gulp of wine, and watched as Ben's face went cold white. His hands traced the arm rests of his chair. He looked at his sister sadly, before removing his glasses to clean them.

"I think seeing as your last lover put me in a wheelchair; I have a little right to help you decide who you see. Wouldn't want to end up worse than crippled."

Ben raised a hand to Annie and rolled towards the kitchen. Sharon sunk to her chair and ran her fingers through her hair. The situation was a mess. And yet there was a part of her that wanted so much to call Will right back and tell him yes.

X

Annie had gone home, leaving Ben and Sharon alone. She had tracked him down to the back porch where he looked out over the pond and the old tree house that Michael Raydor had made his tomboy daughter.

"It was a one night stand after that white tie ball, we went to dinner a couple of days after and that's it."

Ben didn't seem to be paying attention to her until his hand took hers. "I wish you would have told me, Sharon. I want to keep you safe, you know that right? I've always kept you safe."

Sharon knelt by his chair. "I'm a big girl now, Ben, and you don't have to worry. Will is one of the good guys. Not that it makes much difference, I'm Cruella De Ville at the LAPD; he wouldn't want to date me anyway."

He squeezed her hand. "Then he's a fool. Just, please be careful. You once thought Sam was one of the good guys, and even you know how dirty cops can be."

They continued to stare out onto the garden, until Sharon felt Ben squeeze her hand back.

"You tell me not to worry, but I always do. Because of your job, because of those scars. Because it's not over with Sam."

Sharon scoffed. "We're finished, end of. I'm finished with him, have been for nearly thirty years."

"Just because you're finished with him, doesn't mean he's finished with you."

X

Sunday was a quiet day, and she had gone through her normal routine quite easily. In the evening she found herself thinking about Ben's words, and about Will. Sharon went up to her bedroom and looked through her wardrobe. She wanted to impress Will tomorrow, show him the soft, sensitive side of Sharon Raydor. She just didn't know how to go about that exactly, not that she had any clothes suitable either.

She had business suits, baseball caps and jerseys, heels and trainers. She had shorts and t-shirts and her leathers for when she decided to go for a ride. But she didn't have anything really soft and feminine, which was expected as she didn't particularly act that way.

Annie wasn't picking up her phone, and Ben wouldn't be of any help to her. So that left her pretty much on her own, except Sharon knew someone who had style, taste and had been desperate to get at her wardrobe for a while now. Grabbing her cordless, she dialled one of the numbers she knew off by heart.

"Simon? Yeah it's Captain Raydor. Listen, I need a favour, do you reckon you could come over?"

He came as quickly as he could, bringing with him his Gucci sunglasses, badge and ever present smile. Sharon was happy to see him, and welcomed him in and up to where her wardrobe was. "Where's your gun?"

"Doesn't match my shoes. Is that a motorcycle helmet?"

Sharon kicked it under the bed. "No."

Simon grinned, pushing his brown hair back off his face. He was handsome, very skilled at his job and Sharon also knew he was nursing a small crush on someone within the LAPD. Out of all four of the officers under her, she trusted Simon with secrets the most, and with no one to talk to she decided that she may need a work friend after all. First things with Will and now with Simon: she was pushing the boundaries pretty hard.

"Listen, there's someone at work I want to impress on Monday. Think you can help me out with that?"

He smiled. "Of course ma'am. Sharon."

It was Sharon's turn to smile at the use of her name, and she realised that she had even become the ice queen with her own people. Not good. For about an hour Simon went through her wardrobe and commented on her choices. By the time she had brought up two bottles of beer and some snacks, they were having a good time. They started bitching about people in the force, and comparing weird cases including the one where Sharon had to book someone trying to kill his neighbour with a cucumber.

"It was still attempted murder!" Sharon exclaimed and they both laughed.

When they stopped, Simon turned to her. "Thank you for asking me to come over Captain. I know you value your privacy, and I know that we've gone for the after case drink occasionally, but it's nice to know that you know we exist."

Simon's words nearly broke her heart. "You think I don't know you exist?"

He ducked his head, taking another sip of beer. "It's just sometimes you're so driven by the goal that we're like chess pieces. I mean, when have we ever seen you outside work socially, or that didn't have some sort of work thing attached?"

"Tony's wedding."

"Barely. You stayed for half an hour after the ceremony."

Sharon sat on the bed and tucked her hands behind her neck. "Simon, I know you guys think that I don't know you, but I do. Tony's kids are named Mary and Jake, and they all go to watch baseball at the weekends, no matter who is playing. Jimmy wants to go to Europe and watch French films, he regrets going into the LAPD sometimes because he'd rather direct. Claudia smokes like a chimney, but when her brother comes down she'll go cold turkey just like that because he has breathing problems. And you, Simon, have a crush on someone in the department and you blush whenever we head to Major Crimes for a showdown. More than that, you have two brothers, both of whom didn't speak to you for a year after you told them that you were gay."

Simon looked at her. "Did you know what happened after the year was up?"

"You joined the LAPD to make a difference and they were so proud of you."

A smile blossomed over his face, and he reached up to clink her bottle. "To the small things, Captain."

"To the small things. So who is it?"

"If you tell me who you're trying to impress, I will more than happily explain my crush."

"No deal."

"Suit yourself then Captain."

X

He would have noticed her had she been wearing a black bin liner; the smile on her face was so radiant. As it was, Sharon Raydor that bright Monday morning knocked him for six. She was wearing a blue blouse, light and free, with a skirt that made her legs look long, not that she needed any help in that regard. She looked great. Her hair was curly, and Will wondered if she straightened it to go with the sharp suits.

"Captain Raydor, may we walk?"

"Of course Chief."

They walked a little down the corridor where the people traffic grew quieter and Will was quite aware of Sharon Raydor standing beside him. "I have an idea, it probably won't be liked but it's a preventative measure rather than anything else."

"Oh?" She stopped and turned to him, smiling up at him gracefully. Her lips looked so full, so kissable. All he had to do was to take one step forward and then he could brush them with his… "If a member of FID tagged along on investigations as advisory only, then may be things would not get to the stage where FID was needed."

Sharon thought it over. "It has merit, I'll give you that. What department were you thinking of first?"

Will grinned sheepishly. This would be the hard part. "Well Major Crimes has two strikes against them – the incident with Gabriel recently, then the FBI thing with Provenza and Sanchez three years ago."

"No. I am not monitoring Chief Johnson's investigations. I value my life."

He laughed at her statement, smiling nervously at the joke she had made until she looked at him strangely. Will then coughed and placed both hands on his hips. "I see your point, and I understand. I just think it would be best to prevent rather than…."

"Cure? Is that the word you're looking for?"

He ducked his head before gazing at her, steamy blue mixing with her sea green. "I was going to say crisis. But cure is accurate enough."

"I'll talk to my team, see if they can cope with any more counselling."

He laughed once again, slowing down when he realised he was the only one. "I'll see you around."

"Bye."

Sharon watched him walk down the corridor and sighed. She was so out of practice when it came to men, let alone actual relationships at _work_. She had no idea what she was truly doing, and it annoyed her. She was used to being in control, of situations, of emotions, but this was outside her parameters. Walking the other way, she headed to the FID offices, making sure not to bump into anyone from Major Crimes. She was only a few paces away from her office door, just going past a fire exit when a hand grabbed hers and dragged her through the doors.

Looking up at her 'attacker', Sharon was surprised to see Will Pope holding onto her arm. The fire exit opened up into a dark lit corridor, cold and empty. The windows were glazed over, and it was the perfect hiding spot if you wanted to do things, which of course no one in the LAPD did because they were police officers.

"Do you want to grab lunch with me today?" Will asked, shaking as he asked her. "You didn't call me back, and I just wanted to make sure."

Sharon blushed, she had forgotten about his call. "I meant to, I really did. But I can't do today. I already said I'd treat my team to something to eat at Otto's Deli. They're looking forward to it."

"Oh. That's fine. I'll catch you later then." He looked so disappointed.

He turned around, and Sharon realised she had to seize the moment. Grabbing for his hand this time, she jerked him round to face her and planted her mouth on his. She enjoyed the feeling of surprise, and then enjoyment as his body moulded around hers, his arms cocooning her body and holding her close. His lips moved over hers, tongues caressing and stroking in deep movements. They broke apart for a moment, trying to gain some oxygen into their lungs.

"I'm free for dinner."

"Good. I'll pick you up at seven."

She let him leave at that point, before collapsing against the wall, feeling her pulse. God that man could drive her to all sorts of crazy.

X

She had gone out for a ride, needed to pick up some groceries and say hello to Otto before her date with Will. Riding on her bike always calmed her nerves, and she felt she needed it. Sharon Raydor had a damn crush, and it had to be on Will Pope, Chief Johnson's former play thing and Assistant Chief of Police. It got even worse when she thought about how he had reacted, and she felt a silent thrill as she thought about how he might feel the same.

Sharon had been late leaving Otto's. Mina, his granddaughter, was a sweet kid but she did love to talk. It was only when she drove up onto her drive and she saw what she knew to be Will Pope's car outside her house did she figure she wasn't running quite on time. She pulled off her helmet, letting her hair fall onto her shoulders. Will was standing by his car, beaming as he saw her.

"Hi. I'm so sorry, I went for a ride and I completely lost track of time. Give me a minute?"

"Only because it's you. And because you look so damn hot in leather."

Sharon punched his arm and led him to the door. He waited in the doorway as she travelled up the stairs and much to his arousal lost clothes as she went. Will resisted the urge to go upstairs and run his hands all over her, inhale the scent of LA air from her skin and taste her body.

That was more of a third date thing.

He heard a bump and was amused to see a pair of high heels flying down the stairs.

"Didn't want to wear those?"

Sharon's voice called out as she walked down the stairs on the heels of her heels. "The shoes I wear for work are well supporting, and these are just flimsy little things. But apparently they match. Hi."

There was only a thin scraping of make up on her face, a little eyeliner and dark lipstick on her mouth. Her hair was quickly brushed, and cascading like waves over her shoulders. Her dress was the little black one she had worn the night of the ball, and her heels were basic black. Her handbag was small, with a strap so she didn't have to hold it. Will made a bet with himself that there wasn't any make up inside. He had been out with quite an array of women, from the well off to the not so, the well dressed to the frumpy, the east coast to the south. Sharon Raydor was a New York girl; she wasn't a LA prima donna.

"You're perfect."

And he loved her for it.

The woman in front of him blushed. "You're a damn liar, but if we don't hurry then we're going to miss dinner. Where are we going?"

"Trust me."

After Sharon had put her bike away, she and Will had driven off into the centre of Los Angeles. They drove around for a bit until Will caught sight of something and drove off in that direction. Sharon was mildly amused to see that they had driven up to a drive through fast food place.

"Fancied a snack?"

Will turned to her. "I heard you say in passing to someone that you hated fancy restaurants, so – ta da!"

Sharon nodded and turned to Will, who had gone slightly pale. "I was talking to Sue from accounting who sidelined me with this whole boyfriend issue that no one would talk to her about. I said that I hated fancy restaurants so she would stop talking to me. And on a completely unrelated note, you've been spying on me?"

He grew even paler and his hands tightened around the wheel. How could things have gone so wrong, so quickly? "Okay, number one….damn. Number two…when I get around you I act like the geeky freshmen trying to ask the captain of the cheerleading squad out to Prom. Talking to you directly turns me into a bumbling idiot."

Their car moved, and the spotty youth asked for their orders. Sharon leaned across Wills lap and relayed their order, giving his thigh a squeeze in the process. She didn't say another word to him, just smiled brightly. When they got their food, Will drove to a small car park overlooking the sea and he decided to break the silence.

"I am…an idiot."

Sharon dived into the bag at their feet and pulled out a bacon double cheeseburger. "You're kidding me; this is the most romantic thing ever. I don't go on a lot of dates, but when I do they are so cheesy. Reservations at a fancy restaurant, wine on tap and French food I can't even pronounce. I would rather go for one cheap meal at a steakhouse than for some high priced expensive dinner."

He grinned at her response, and at the gusto with which she ate her burger. "Then I did good?"

"You did great Will Pope."

They ate in silence, enjoying the meal and of Sharon pulling out her gherkins and Will trying to get Sharon's coke out of her hands for his orange drink. They watched the sun go down on the sea, and Sharon felt her heart race at the feeling of Wills hand around hers as they sipped their drinks and enjoyed the view. She was such a damn kid.

"I'm sorry this evening probably hasn't been how you pictured it. God, I wanted it to be special. Because you're special. Really special."

"You don't have to make stuff up; you already got me into bed."

He chuckled at her words and stroked her face. "I mean it. You are a complete conundrum, mystery, complex, full of contradictions. And yet with you I actually start enjoying myself."

"Ditto."

They continued to watch the sun fade together.

X

They headed off for a drive, Sharon trying not to stick her nose in too much as Will made it very clear that he was the one in the driver's seat. He did enjoy the feel of his arm around Sharon as they drove down the streets of Los Angeles. He knew where he was going, and after driving for an hour it had gotten dark and Sharon was sleeping against the crook of his arm.

"Sharon…wake up." Will kissed the side of her face and she stirred, brightening when she saw him.

"Did I fall asleep?"

"As long as you didn't drool on my arm, its fine."

Sharon looked over her surroundings and saw that they were on a hill top with a perfect view of the LA city. There were several other cars parked nearby, and Sharon grinned as she realised where they were. "Make out point, very classy."

Will blanched at her tone. "I thought it would be a good view."

"Yeah right."

He cleared his throat and looked at her, but Sharon was already moving onto his side of the car. "Will, I have been thinking about this all evening. I'm not the head Cheerleader, I'm the school rebel who is more than willing to seduce or be seduced by the handsome geek in her midst."

She kissed him, and he definitely appreciated the bold female approach. He ran his fingers through her hair, fixing her mouth to his and enjoying the taste of her along his tongue. Sharon shifted in his lap and straddled him fully, brushing against his growing erection. He ran his hands up and down her arms before moving across her chest to cup her breasts. He hadn't been parking in a million years, it was too out in the open for his usual taste, but Sharon wasn't an affair, she was just lower down on the chain of command, like her hand was.

"Are we going to do this here?" she breathlessly said in his hair, taking his lobe between her lips.

"My chair goes down."

Will shifted the lever that moved their position jerkily downwards. Sharon's giggle was infectious, and he loved hearing it from her. They continued to kiss deeply, and his hand moved up her thigh till it touched the edge of her panties. He went to move them down when there was knock on the window.

"LAPD," came the voice and Sharon had to stop herself from laughing. Will dug around until he found his badge and watched as Sharon kept to the dark. Will rolled down the window and poked his head out to the young officer there.

"Can I help you?"

The officer started to stutter, he had obviously been expecting a kid. "Yes si-sir. I'm afraid that parking here and engaging in what amounts to public sex is prohibited, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave or face action from the LAPD."

"Would have to be Internal Affairs," Sharon muttered in the back and Will shot her a look before producing a badge to the young officer.

"My name is Will Pope, as in Chief of your ass Pope. Me and my friend were enjoying the view, she's from New York and this is the best spot for it. We will happily move on in a few minutes once my car finally starts. Is that acceptable?"

The officer, realising who Will was, began to apologise embarrassingly. After Will had accepted his apology, the young officer wanted to have a word with him about another issue, and wouldn't let it go. Rolling up his window, Will moved to the back and kissed Sharon on the nose.

"I will be back as soon as possible. Don't go anywhere, I so want to finish what we started."

When Will hadn't been back for ten minutes, Sharon decided to go for a walk. She took off her heels, there had been a lot of rain of late and the ground was slippery. Walking over the grass, she could hear a banging. Someone had obviously been locked out of their car. As she turned another corner, she saw a lone Camero under a tree. The banging seemed to be coming from the boot. Running back to get her purse, Sharon found the hairpin she always carried and thanked her father for teaching her how to pick locks (which sadly had gone on her Juvie record when she had been sixteen).

Opening up the boot, Sharon came face to face with a fifteen year old girl bound and gagged. There was a penknife in her bag too, a necessary component of hot wiring things (another mark on her record) and managed to undo the ropes that held her. The police officer took over, and Sharon ripped the tape off from the corner to minimise prints. When it was off her mouth, the girl started screaming. Sharon couldn't help but blame her, but noticed that her gaze was at something just behind her.

Sharon turned round, knowing that it wouldn't be Will, but still not seeing the shovel aimed at her head until it was too late.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings. __The FID team is of my creation, as is Captain Raydor's backstory, but the rest belongs to the lovely folks at TNT_

**_This chapter contains strong language and dark themes. _**

_As a child she had loved her father's uniform, fingering the cotton and the cold metal of the silver. She had loved the noise of the city as her father let her join in on his patrols. The Parker Building had been her favourite, enjoying the bright lights and the feeling of justice in the air. The police officers around her had always smiled, ruffled her brown curls and placed hats, badges, unloaded guns in her hands to make an adorable little mascot. _

_They burn mascots now._

_She remembered the brightness in her father's eyes extinguish when she was thirteen, the smile and the joy replaced by hollow cheeks and an empty gaze. The police were not the gleaming beacon anymore; they were a black hole in her father's heart. She had been too young to understand the change, but she had recognised that her father loathed his old friends and in turn she began to loathe them too._

_It got her into more trouble than she was used to. _

_As much as she hated them, there came a point where she needed the police. In Los Angeles, far away from New York, she needed help from someone, and she turned to her father's old partner, Wendell Berrill. Head of Robbery/Homicide, he looked at her back, her brothers broken legs and helped them, paid for a lawyer and their flights back to New York, to a new life where they could be safe and not fear the dark._

_She never forgot his kindness._

_It had never been a conscious thought. She had trained in psycholinguistics, a specialism offered only at New York due to the linguistics department, in order to teach. But after getting in another lot of trouble with her bike, it became clear her path. Sell the stuff she didn't need - there wasn't much. Plane ticket to Los Angeles, the New York department would never accept her with her record and she wasn't entirely sure the LAPD would accept hers based on her father's reputation but she had to try. _

_She passed. She got in. She worked her beat._

_You can tell by the air around you when the case will stick in your mind, the back of your head. It'll cling to you, so much so that when you tilt your head one way when you're walking down the street you can see _them_ out of the corner of your eye. The criminals that got away, the ones whose faces haunt you and cause you to wake up sweating, thinking about how many men, women, couples, children are dead because you couldn't catch _him_._

_There's always one._

_The Criminology lecturer was the worst. Her and Flynn's seventh case, the sexual tension getting to the point where someone needed to ask someone out on a date. Like a twist in a crime novel, the expert they had turned to had been the killer. Raid, arrest, capture, conviction. She had liked the guy, talked to him about psychology and criminal vocabulary. He had come onto her, she had pushed him away._

_"How many future killers do you think I have created in my class?"_

_Gang unit was the worst, investigating Broker's gang so hard it was no wonder he didn't hear about it. She always thought she'd wake up dead. Robbery/Homicide was better, but Sharon didn't join the police force to see dead girls, talk to boys with their legs amputated due to stray bullets. Internal Affairs was a safe place, it was always done in the cold light of day, no blow ups with those investigated, just everyone else bumping into your shoulder. _

_Moving to FID was supposed to help, help her and her natural born talent for getting into trouble._

_But sometimes trouble had a way of finding her._

X

"Thanks officer, I will make a point about that in the next staff meeting," Will told the young man, who grinned. Will grinned back and left the officer to his beat, walking back to the car.

This evening had not gone to plan at all. He had wanted to do something a little special, a little different. He was tired of being a ladies' man, a player in his social circles. Will wanted something quiet, something unique. Not only had he got the dinner thing completely wrong, but he had also got caught up in a complaints battle while in the process of making out with an attractive woman. He was so out of the dating game that he might have to reduce himself to asking his son for advice.

Will made it to the car to find that Sharon wasn't there. He had told her to wait by the car, was pretty sure of it. She must have gone off for a walk or something, deciding to get some fresh air before they drove off. He looked around, seeing if he could spot her at all but with her dress and hair it would be hard to pick her out in the dark.

"Sharon?" He asked the night. Looking in the car, he could see her heels, her badge and gun, but no sign of her purse. He smiled as he thought about her in those heels, stumbling a little as they walked but always head up high. Will could imagine how sexy she would look with her heels off and in her hand as he kissed her against the side of his car.

Running his hand over his head, Will looked out onto the tree line, he could see that there was only a couple of cars around, one was red so it stood out. _Should have brought your fathers black car_, Will thought to himself before once again remembering his son. In Washington Tommy had a girlfriend, Captain of the Cheerleading Squad and going with him to Harvard. He wondered if his son had ever gone parking, he doubted he would ever get to find out anything about his sons love life. Will mused for a moment whether he would ever be invited to his son's wedding - get to hold his grandchildren. Seeing how bitter his eldest son was, Will wasn't sure he deserved to.

He was going to check to see if she had taken her phone with her and it hadn't rolled where he couldn't see it when he heard a scream pierce the air. Will's head whipped up from the back seat and turned towards the tree line

"SHARON?"

Going into the front seat Will grabbed his gun, put a live round in and headed towards the tree line with his gun facing forward. The officer joined him, looking a little upset at the proceedings. He obviously wasn't used to much action in make out spots. Their footsteps travelled towards the sound of the screaming, coming from the red Camero, parked a little out of the way. It could be someone having a really good time on the back seat of a car, but on the ground Will could see a prone form, wearing a black dress and a tumble of brown hair.

_Sharon_.

Going closer to the scene, being very quiet, Will assessed the young man with the shovel in his hand, and the girl in the boot crying out to live. Sharon was on the floor, not moving. He hoped she wasn't dead, he could see slight chest movement.

"LAPD, drop your shovel and put your hands up now!" Will shouted at the man.

The man turned towards Pope. His hair was thick and matted down, his face was pierced several times and his mouth was snarled in anger. He took one look at the guns both he and the officer beside him was holding, but he didn't move. He didn't seem scared. The girl kept screaming. Sharon didn't move.

Will got closer and repeated his words. "Hands up now!"

"Her soul has left the shell, I have to bury the shell," the man announced, his mouth curling into a defiant grin. With a few quick flicks of his hands, metal handle was twisted into Will's gut, winding him, before hitting him in the eye, temporarily blinding him. The man with the shovel howled to the moon as Will hit the dirt.

The other officer stood fast, his trigger finger shaking as he aimed at the assailant. The man kept moving, holding the shovel with the metal end outwards, which the young man could see had been sawed to a sharp point. The man made a run for the officer and he fumbled with his gun, bullets hitting the top of the car and missing the intended target.

As the assailant prepared to strike, the ground went out from under him and the shovel came down on the fingers on his right hand, severing them.

The police officer, legs shaking, looked towards the woman in the black dress on the floor that had woken up and kicked the man in the ankles, removing the threat of imminent death.

X

"It could have been worse."

"Oh?"

"We could have been killed by that psycho."

"True. But then I wouldn't have been left with the embarrassment of being taken down by a shovel."

Sharon grinned next to Will, resting her hand on his free one. "It was a sharp shovel; he has no fingers on his right hand now. He'll never be able to physically kill again."

Will rolled his eyes. "I'm pleased that he can't kill again, still not pleased that I ended up looking like a wimp."

She shook her head at him, giving up, before moving the cold flannel he had been told to put against his eye a little higher. They were in Cedars being treated for their wounds at the hand of - as they had later discovered - Ray Laurie. Will would have some minor abdominal bruising on his chest, the hit to his stomach had been painful but thankfully not deadly, likewise the hit to the eye. However, he had quite the shiner. Sharon had torn her dress, matted her hair and had a three inch gash on her head that had lost quite a bit of blood. The doctors had cleaned it, stitched it up for her, and told her to come back tomorrow for a redressing. Both had medication to take.

"I wanted to take you on a nice date, and instead we nearly get killed. It's the way my luck runs, obviously."

Sharon squeezed his hand comfortingly, enjoying the feeling of how warm his hand was. "I actually enjoyed myself. In FID you don't get a lot of excitement. And it was really sweet how you rushed after me, my own knight in a sharp suit."

"Well I wasn't going to let you get murdered, you're too pretty to be buried alive…"

Will moved the flannel from his eye, and despite the swelling he could see Sharon. Holding her hand a little tighter, he leaned in and kissed her, brushing his lips with hers. They both leant back into the kiss, a delicate embrace with his lips overlapping hers. His hand moved to pull her closer, running up and down her thigh, causing her to sigh against him.

"Captain? Spare change of clothes."

Sharon broke from Will's embrace to thankfully look only at Tony. She had called him as he was the one who would do as she asked without asking any questions or making any assumptions, and give her a lift home. He was staring at her, not judging her in his look but you couldn't tell much from his stoic expression. "Thank you Tony."

She slid herself away from Will and went into the women's toilets to change. When she came out, Brenda Leigh Johnson was talking to Will and Tony was standing by the toilet door, standing guard against Major Crimes. She had switched from her ripped dress to a pair of black jeans and a shirt, her basic back up clothes that she kept in her office. She sometimes went out with the Gang Unit if they had a particularly good tip that they needed extra help on, and she couldn't count the number of times she had been spit on by police officers she was investigating.

"Ah Captain Raydor. Am I to presume you were…?" She wasn't sure what story Will had told Brenda about what had gone on, but she decided to go with her own gut and see if what Will had told the annoying blonde matched up.

"I was going for a ride, I stopped off to take a drink and look over LA. I heard some banging, went to investigate, saw the girl. Untied her, got hit in the head with a shovel. That's pretty much it until I woke up, kicked his ankles and saved the day."

Tony nodded beside her. "Captain Raydor's good like that."

The rest of the Major Crimes department had arrived and caught her story. Brenda nodded at Raydor, thankfully there seemed to be no discrepancies between her and Will's story. She was about to announce her departure when Flynn piped up. "Going parking on your own? Felt like being a bit adventurous?"

She could hit him, she really could. Sharon knew that he hated her for investigating Waters three years ago, but he had accidentally shot a young girl during the arrest of a criminal, and that was a crime where justice needed to be delivered. It had been the case that had got her promotion from Lieutenant to Captain, and that was probably another reason why he hated her. But still, once upon a time they had been friends, more than friends and even after that had finished they had still watched baseball together. How things changed.

Sharon felt against one of her pockets and pulled out her motorcycle's keys. _Thank god for Tony_. "Bit hard to go parking on a motorbike Lieutenant Flynn. What's happening to the girl, she going to be okay?"

Brenda cleared her throat before responding to her question. "Not your concern Captain. The girl is being cared for and we're making sure that the bastard that tried to bury her alive is put away for a good long time. Lieutenant Flynn, if you could collect Captain Raydor's full statement that would be marvellous. Then you'll be able to go home Captain, and catch up on some shut eye before tomorrow's very busy day of trying to sell your own officers out."

As Brenda turned her back and Flynn chuckled with Provenza, Sharon could see Tony trying very hard not to say something. If he did there would be trouble, and Sharon did not want any of her officers getting into a slanging match with Major Crimes. Simon and Claudia were sometimes uncontrollable but at least Tony knew when not to speak.

"Well I'll let you continue on with your investigation, Chief. Just be careful what you tell his lawyer, he may actually be the mastermind behind the whole thing. Wouldn't want to let another criminal go because you showed him you didn't have any evidence."

Chief Johnson snapped round at her words and had to be brought under control by Gabriel and Sanchez. Sharon smirked at the reaction she got from the Chief, and she could hear Tony chuckle next to her. The Stroh case was legendary in Internal Affairs, they had to become involved to look over the decisions that had been made by the DA that led to a rapist and murderer go free with the knowledge that he would do it all over again.

It was looking at Will, with his eye going black that she noticed how disappointed he was. Brushing her hair off her face, she turned to Flynn. "You'll have my statement on your desk in half an hour - I think you can trust me to write it myself."

Without looking back at the man she had been on a date with that evening, who she would have made love with on the back seat of his car, Sharon left the hospital and headed back to Parker Centre with Tony in his truck.

X

He had come in late, three o'clock in the morning to be precise. His eye was bruised and bloodshot, his stomach felt like he had had something removed. Thankfully the house was dark when he got home, and when he turned the key in the lock he wasn't met by any cold stares from his son.

Will went to the kitchen, and poured himself a glass of water. His head was pounding and he felt like throwing up. This was not how he thought his evening would have ended - he wanted to be lying next to Sharon Raydor instead, watching her enjoy a post coital bliss that he had created. Instead he was tired, sore and thinking about how much you could really get to know a person.

He had left his youngest two children with Tommy, Estelle having returned them home the day before. Walking upstairs he looked into Caitlin's room first, saw that she was tucked up nicely in bed with her stuffed monkey under her arm. She was beautiful, and Will felt his heart ache looking at her. She was his daughter, his only daughter and so much like his mother, thankfully nothing like _hers. _He shut the door on his daughter gently and went to the next room to look at his son. Brendan wasn't as wrapped up, his sheets were loose and a book was on the floor. No doubt Tommy had promised Brendan he would read to him and had not, he had done something similar last summer.

Tommy loathed Brendan, even with Estelle gone. To Tommy, Brendan was his replacement, the first born son with the new wife. He would have words with his eldest tomorrow, or send him back to Washington if he didn't apologise to Brendan. He wouldn't have his son bullied by his much older brother, it wasn't fair.

Will wanted to go in there now, see how he was but he knew he wouldn't be welcome in his son's space. He hovered by his Tommy's room and listened in, there was a girl inside.

_"I'm not sure Tommy."_

_"Hey, would I make you do anything that you're not comfortable with?"_

_"I guess not."_

Will felt his blood go cold. It all sounded a little too familiar.

_"I'm leaving my girlfriend; it's been over for a while between us. You…you make every part of me being in LA bearable. I love you."_

_"I love you too."_

_"So…why don't we give this a shot? I'll prove to you that I love you more than anything,"_

_"Okay."_

Will stood back from his son's door, closing his eyes and trying to force the bile down his throat. He had said very similar words to many women, married, in a relationship or single. And they had fallen for them, because he had confidence and style and something in his voice made them want to _believe _in him. His son seemingly took after his father, and Will wondered as he walked to his own room and sat down on his empty bed how many girls his son had seduced into bed and how many hearts he had broken, just like his father.

Maybe Sharon Raydor was better off without him.

X

It didn't help that people kept staring at her; she knew the cut along her forehead was big and the stitches were huge. Flynn walked past her and smirked before bumping into her shoulder, knocking her file to the floor. She had known the instant she had said it that her comeback had been wrong, but it had felt so good to pass up. She had her own unsolved cases to deal with, old FID cases and cases from Robbery/Homicide that still make the early hours of the morning pass painfully slow.

"Morning - Simon!" As soon as Sharon had entered the FID offices Simon had jumped on her and engulfed her in a tight hug. Jimmy was on the fringes, dark circles around his eyes like he had been up late worrying about her. Tony was in the corner, watching the proceedings and he gave her a nod when her eyes swivelled to him. Claudia gave her a fist bump as she broke away from Simon and went to see her.

"You okay Captain? You look like someone died," Claudia exclaimed, and Sharon laughed.

"No, no one did thankfully. Although it was close. You guys heading to the Freezer this morning?"

Claudia nodded and Sharon, happy that she was not needed, headed into her office with her files, trying to ignore the pounding headache she had. The 'Freezer' was the nickname for the Cold Case department. When things were quiet in FID, Simon and Claudia liked to go through old cases and see if there was any new evidence or any links they could see. It was often a pointless exercise, but it was one to pass the time.

As she was getting settled, Jimmy knocked on her door and came into her office. His hair looked a little longer, on the side of unkempt that Sharon found attractive. If she was a little younger, or he was a little older, then maybe Sharon would be a bit more tempted by Jimmy but as it was he was still young, still naïve and still too impressionable for her to indulge in.

"You okay Jimmy?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "I guess, I was just worried about you when Tony called us. I don't want to see anything happen to you."

Sharon bowed her head before looking up at him, his gaze intense. "But I'm okay Jimmy; it's just a mild head injury. Me and Chief Pope look like wrecks but we're fine."

Jimmy nodded and moved to go to her but felt a hand on his shoulder. Tony. "Claudia needs help with Word again, she's lost the margins."

The youngest among them nodded and moved out of the boss' office. Tony closed the door and turned towards Sharon, his face darkening by the minute. That was never a good sign, and Sharon had the feeling a frank discussion was about to take place.

"You're my boss, I don't know a lot about you other than the basics but I do know you're not stupid. Dating Chief Pope is an idiotic thing to do. As good as he is an officer; he's a ladies' man and has a reputation for fucking anything blonde that looks good in a skirt."

Sharon sat at her desk, placing the files in line with everything at her desk before turning to Tony once again. "I see. Anything else?"

"It's gone around for a while that he had an affair with Chief Johnson back up in Washington, he divorced his first wife due to adultery. He has shown absolutely no liking for you or this department at all, except when it suits him. I don't want you to get hurt Captain."

Sharon cleared her throat. "Thank you for your consideration Detective. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go over this file."

He nodded her acceptance, and Tony left her alone. Sharon tried not to think of how much she wanted him to stay. She knew he was saying right things, but her crush was still firmly in place, and she wanted to feel Will against her again, hear that voice as smooth as honey in her ear mumbling any nonsense of conversation.

Her office door opened and her face brightened instantly to see Will. Her smile faltered when she saw he wasn't smiling. "Captain Raydor, with me please."

She followed behind him, not liking where this was going. He barely looked at her, and when they headed towards Major Crimes dread rose up in her throat. Inside the team was assembled, and Chief Johnson did not look surprised to see her trailing behind Pope. He finally looked at her, but it was as the Chief, not as Will.

"Captain, I'd like you to apologise for the remark you made to Chief Johnson last night about the Stroh case, seeing as Major Crimes has worked diligently to track down that bastard."

She began to utter something, and she looked at Will for guidance. He wasn't her friend, her almost lover, he was her boss and loyal to Johnson. Like he always would be. "I'm sorry for my comment Chief Johnson, it was out of line. Even if it happens to be fucking true."

Will bristled beside her, and Brenda's face fell. However she could see that she wasn't going to get any better, so the Deputy Chief decided to let it go, and try another tack of one-upmanship. "Thank you Captain and thank you for your statement. You're dismissed."

Sharon left the officers of Major Crimes and waited by Chief Pope's office for him to come back. He eventually did, nodded at her and opened the door to let her in. As soon as the door was shut, her hand went across his cheek, causing him to hiss, she had caught some of the bruising around his eye.

"I'm sorry but what you did was…well not completely inexcusable but it was downright harsh. I know because you fucked Chief Johnson ten years ago you have some sort of inability to tell her no, and you always stick by her, but considering last night we were on a date I find what you did spiteful and upsetting."

Will moved his hand up to touch his cheek. "Your point?"

She had seen the sweet side to Will Pope; the generous and romantic side that made her legs go weak. She had seen the good officer, the strong Chief that she respected. But making her apologise to Chief Johnson was playing favourites against her, and it made her feel horrible that she had _believed _he wanted something romantic with her.

"Well I've gone back to thinking you're a favouritist sleaze who doesn't deserve his rank. Sir."

She turned her back on him and slammed the door, walking down the corridor and ignoring the tears that threatened to darn her cheeks. How stupid could she be, to fall for a man like Will Pope when he was obviously still in love with Brenda Leigh Johnson? She had had a run of it lately, trying to open herself up and regretting it almost instantly. Time to fall back.

X

Sharon was moving down the parking garage past the rows and rows of identical cars until she spotted her own. Although working for the LAPD in her rank you did get a company car, a Crown Vic, she didn't want it. She happily liked her own cars, her only real extravagance. Expensive, fast and always good to feel driving. She liked classic cars; liked fixing them up in her garage and making them shine. She always saved up her money to buy cars, her current eye on the new Ferrari which would be out of fashion by next year and probably would be never hers unless she took Ben's money. He had been taunting her with the money for a while now, but she was never good at accepting handouts.

Will Pope was sitting on the back of her car, legs stretched out in front of him waiting for her.

"That's a Ford Mustang you're sitting on."

"Looks a bit out of place down here."

"I look a bit out of place up there."

Sharon brushed past him, not paying him any attention as she unlocked her car and threw her belongings in the back seat. She didn't want to hear his excuses, didn't want to hear anything he had to say. In fact if he ever talked to her again it would be too soon.

"I wanted to apologise."

"I don't care."

She pulled on her jacket and moved her hair over the collar while looking at him. "What?"

"Last night I came home to hear my son persuading a teenage girl to have sex with him. He said he'd leave his girlfriend for her, that he loved her. She wasn't there when I woke him up this morning; he probably sent her home in a taxi in the middle of the night."

"Your point?" Sharon snarled in the same tone he had used that morning.

Will looked down at the ground, his fingers shaking. "I remember the words; I've said them to countless women when I was a kid to when I was married. Now hearing them out of my own son's mouth and I think I'm going to throw up."

She left her rooted spot and joined Will on the boot of her car and shifted so their legs were touching. "I don't know what to say. I'm not good with people, you may have noticed. It's why I like what I do, I like examining people rather than talking with them."

He looked at her with such pain; Sharon felt the sudden urge to wash it away. She had never liked seeing pain on someone's features, especially when she had caused some of it.

"I'm sorry I made you apologise, but the comment was out of line. My head wasn't screwed on, I just needed to get you away from me, and it seemed like a good idea to push you like that. But like last night, I screwed up."

She could see that his eye was still bloodshot, that he had been crying a little. His face was sore; the skin was a little red where her slap must still itch. Her fingers moved up of their own accord and gently stroked the skin of his cheek, and he exhaled under her touch.

"You weren't…right…to say I wasn't a good officer, because I am, I want justice for everyone who needs it. But you were right to call me a sleaze. When it comes to women I'm horrible, and it seems that my son who loathes my being has picked up my bad habits."

The pads of her fingers ran over his sad smile, and he closed his eyes, acknowledging her touch. "You're a good cop Will, you are an amazing Assistant Chief and one day I think you will make an amazing _Chief_. But maybe in the course of justice putting your cards on Chief Johnson's pile is not always fair. Maybe I'm just a little angry because you chose her over me. Again. And I'm sorry I slapped you, even if you deserved it just a little bit."

His mouth turned into a small smile, and she beamed when he saw it. Will's hands broke their pattern and his right rested atop Sharon's. She looked to him, and squeezed his hand.

"Listen, how about we try this whole friendship deal that we never got around to doing, and we go and get a bite to eat and we can talk," Sharon suggested, looking up at him. Will didn't say anything; he just tilted his head and moved down to Sharon, his lips catching hers as they kissed briefly. He tore himself from her lips, shaking his head.

"Don't stop."

He was surprised by the breathless voice by Sharon Raydor, and Will found he didn't want to stop, not ever. Making sure there was no one around, Wills hands stroked Sharon's cheeks and planted his mouth on hers, tasting her and allowing his body to overlap hers on the boot of her car, liking how good she kissed and how reassured he felt now she was kissing him. How whole he felt with her accepting him.

They ended the kiss, hands still holding each other close, foreheads resting against each other in the cool of the car park.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings. The FID team is of my creation, as is Captain Raydor's backstory, but the rest belongs to the lovely folks at TNT  
_

_Do you remember being six years old, and that girl who was your best friend dumped sand in your hair? Or the boy that broke your heart so hard you thought you would never fall in love again?_

_There are so many moments that burn, hurt, make you feel like screaming, but there are also the single turning points that make you realise your love for a person, your depth of emotion and how deep in the trenches they would go for you. _

Ben_. You expect brothers to be there for you, no matter what, especially with the bond they shared. When she had become an item with Sam, he had warned her off, begging her not to fall in too deep with him. But she had ignored him and fallen hard, and she had been happy until he had ripped her back apart. In the hospital, with an emptiness inside of her, he hadn't said "I told you so"_. _He had just held her hand, stroking her palm and sat by her side. He didn't flinch at her words, not even when the tears fell. "I was going to call him Michael."_

Claudia_. Colleagues, somewhat friends even if she only showed it by the use of the first name instead of rank, or surname. She was her mentor, teaching her in the art of not screwing up. When the first blow out with Brenda Leigh Johnson had happened, she had gone from Parker Centre to a bar she knew, and sipped a bottle of something sharp and was seriously considering moving into shots. Claudia sidled up beside her, ordering two shots of a clear liquid. "FID does what it does; Major Crimes do what they do. They screw up, we don't. To not screwing up." They clinked glasses and she downed the shot. It was water. _

Andy._ Colleagues. Partners. Friends. Almost but not quite lovers. Friends. Officers. Enemies. There had been a lot of memories between the two of them, moments before each of them had betrayed their mentor and went their own separate way. Since FID had clashed with Major Crimes, she hadn't talked to Andy, hadn't shared any friendly times. But on July 29__th__, she had gone to the cemetery to pay her respects and laid a pink rose on nine graves, nine girls who had died too soon. The last grave, the last girl, and Flynn was standing there, looking into space. He had held her hand as they both stared at the photo of the blonde student, a girl who had never received the justice she deserved. _

Will_. She remembered the first day he had started, the new officer taking over from Assistant Chief Holmes. He was recently married, and his wife was pregnant with their first child. He had been the one who had helped during the UCLA case. When they had closed it, as a group they had gone out for a drink. Of course, when she had transferred to FID he was no longer her immediate superior, that was Wendell instead. Chief Johnson had come and changed the department, and then her relationship with Will had changed too, becoming almost romantic. One night she was late coming home, and she couldn't be bothered to cook. She called Will, wanting to talk about business and they ended up talking about pleasure. With the kids at their mothers, he came over, cooked a quick dinner and they sat on her bedroom floor, laughing and enjoying the others company. _

_She lives for moments like that._

X

"You got all your things packed?" Will asked his son, looking at the bare bedroom he was standing in. Tommy usually kept some of his posters, some books and clothes when he went back to Washington, but now it was all going. Will was left with no illusions that his son was not coming back to this house.

"Yeah, just about. What time does the flight leave?"

Tommy looked up at his father, brushing his brown hair back off of his face. "About three. I have meetings most of the morning, so if you want to come in you can catch up on some of your reading."

His son nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Caitlin and Brendan were on a play date with two other kids, so it was just him and Tommy on his last day in Los Angeles. He didn't seem too bothered by it, so Will decided to act nonchalant too. Their communication would probably go down to the occasional call on birthdays and Christmas, and most likely only instigated by him. Will knew from his own lips that his son planned no contact with him, and he was also aware of how much he had screwed up his son, and unfortunately it was too late to put that right in seven days what he should have done eleven years ago.

Their journey to Parker Centre was in silence. They made their way inside, and he nodded to the guard as they entered the elevator, and rode up to the third floor. It stopped on the first, and the two men moved back. As the lift doors opened, Will was happy to see Sharon there. They hadn't really talked in the past week, he had been trying to concentrate on putting things together with his family rather than Sharon, but she smiled when she saw him. That was a good sign.

"Morning," she greeted, smiling at him and Tommy. She was looking good. Her skirt was mid length, her blouse still summery although there was a thin jacket over it. There was a slight chill in the air, although Will felt considerably warmer seeing Sharon standing there.

Maybe, after Tommy was off to Washington and his younger two were back at school, he could sort out his mess from last week, and start seeing Sharon again.

If wishes were pennies he'd have enough to budget the LAPD.

X

"Hello," replied Tommy, being polite. He noticed how his father had reacted to the woman just entering the lift, and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His Dad was such a womaniser, but he doubted that the cute woman in front of him would have anything to do with him. She didn't look stupid, but then the skirt suggested to him administration. However, after examining things a bit more clearly, he noticed the badge and gun on his hip. Inwardly, Tommy sighed. Hadn't his father learned from Chief Bitch that office romances never worked?

The lifts opened up on three, and standing there was Brenda Leigh Johnson, talk of the devil. She had visited their house when he had been a kid, smiling at his father and probably screwing him in the bed that his mother slept in. She was still blonde, still pasted on her lipstick and still dressed like a housewife. You'd think that living in LA would have straightened her out a bit.

"Chief Pope, I was just looking for you! Captain." Tommy didn't miss the disgruntled tone she gave to the woman his father had been eyeing, but she wasn't affected, just gave a strained smile back.

All four of them exited the lift and walked down the corridor. The Captain turned off, giving Pope and him a nod and a smile. They walked into Major Crimes, and Tommy looked around, noting the mess of desks, the smell of stale coffee and the murder photos on the whiteboard. Same old, same old. He remembered being in a murder room in Washington, his first day at work with his father. Seeing all the detectives at work, he had announced to his Daddy on the way home that he wanted to be a police officer. He had never seen his father so proud.

"Well I'll try and work something out Brenda, I promise. I've just got a very busy day ahead," his father cocked his head towards his son, but the Chief didn't let it lie. Of course he was the forgotten child. What happens in Washington stays in Washington, Tommy was pretty sure that most of the detectives thought he only had two kids.

Tommy watched with amusement as Brenda struggled with putting a name to his face. He grinned, and stuck his hand out. She took it warily, shaking it.

"Tommy Pope, _his_ son. You probably remember me from when you broke up my parent's marriage by fucking my father, effectively ruining my childhood. It's really nice to see you again Chief Johnson."

She went very pale at his remark, and Tommy's work was done. He had been waiting all summer for his Dad to take him into Parker Centre so he could do that, and on his last day he had finally succeeded. Now he could go to Harvard putting his past behind him, and moving on.

His father was glaring at him, but he couldn't care less. He could hear some laughing at the back, and he turned to see a male and female detective struggling to hide their laughter at the Chief's embarrassment. "Thomas Alexander Pope…" His Dad was bringing out the middle name; he must be desperate to regain some kind of control. That's when he felt a hand tightening on his shoulder.

X

"Claudia, Simon, if you've finished enjoying the humiliation of a _senior _officer, I suggest you go back to FID offices and go through old officer shootings. Tommy, how about we leave your Dad and Chief Johnson to it, and we go see if we can put that mouth of yours to good use. I think we've run out of self sticking envelopes."

He didn't resist her hand curling under his armpit and dragging him along, and if he had then Sharon was sure that she could have asked Tony to drag the boy down to FID with her. Chief Johnson gave her a nod as she left, before glaring at the two Internal Affairs detectives who followed the Captain like little lost puppies.

Down in the FID offices, Sharon let Tommy into her own office and sat him down at a seat. As she slammed the door behind her, she turned to Claudia and Simon.

"Enjoying Chief Johnson being humiliated?"

Claudia was the one to stand up for both of them. "After that apology that Pope made you do last week, I'm glad the kid mouthed off. She deserves to be taken down a peg or two."

"She has a point Captain," Jimmy said from his own desk, until his commanding officer's glare shut him up.

Sharon ran a hand through her hair. Over the years she had wanted kids, but looking at her detectives and Will's eldest in her office, she was glad she hadn't had any. "Chief Johnson is a bitch, we know this, we accept this. But do you think that laughing at a spoilt child's remarks are going to make us look better than her? No. They make us look like fools, like idiots. You want to get one over on the Chief, do it smart. And not on this clock, we investigate use of force, not use of mouth. Now get to back work"

Letting her officers muse on her words, Sharon went into her office and looked at Tommy Pope. She had never met any of Wills children before, and looking at Tommy she could see the same bright blue eyes, the same smile. But his eyes were cold where Wills were warm.

"I'm not spoilt."

Sharon looked at Tommy and shook her head. Her office walls were thin, of course he had overheard. "Well, insulting the head of Major Crimes over an episode that happened ten years ago is something a child would do. You father told me you're going to Harvard, going to be a doctor. You want to save lives, grow up."

Tommy's eyes slanted before he sniggered. "You're not my mother, you're not my boss. Don't get off telling me off."

Sharon looked at him. She had dealt with officers like him before, and kids on the street who thought mouthing off, challenging people was the way to go. Sharon had never had any time for people who didn't listen. "No, I'm not, you're right. But someone needs to tell you that you are not the most important person in the universe, and that your parents' divorce is not the end of the world."

"How would you know?"

Sharon turned away from Tommy's harsh features and looked at the picture of New York behind her desk, smiling sadly at memories of home. "You have always had a mother and father who loved you, you're luckier than most kids."

"My Dad doesn't love me. He tolerates me."

"He does, he loves you very much."

Tommy laughed bitterly. "You think you know me, know my Dad? Lemme guess, you've slept together, he's promised you the world. He'll marry you, he'll give everything up for you, let you adopt the kids or some such crap. My father is a manipulative bastard; he'll do anything to get a woman into bed. What did he promise you?"

Sharon looked back at the young boy sitting across from her, and felt something like sympathy for Tommy Pope. He had been loved by both his parents, but the loathing between them had torn any love they had into ribbons. "Lunch, every Tuesday followed by a walk along the sea. That's what we do, because we're friends. Do you have many friends Tommy?"

"Yeah, I have loads," Tommy replied, but Sharon could see the cockiness in his eyes was failing.

"Any that you can talk to you about being a spoilt brat?"

Tommy looked at the floor and thought about his friends, his old baseball buddies. He thought about his girlfriend, about the friends he had made in LA. "I'm not spoilt. I just… I like being alone."

Sharon watched the descent of his face, and remembered a similar incident with a seventeen year old girl; on the verge of getting kicked out of school realising she was not as alone as she truly thought.

X

Will had never seen Brenda so angry before, and he could understand why. She had been practically in tears, and he had lied to her, said that his son would be ripped to shreds when they got home, all privileges revoked. It seemed to make her feel better, not that he could implement any of it, his son was due in the airport in five hours. He would be going back to Washington for his goodbye party, to pack up all his stuff, and then his step father was driving him down to Boston.

He walked as quickly as he could down to FID offices, desperate to get there before Tommy decided to yell at any of Sharon's officers. He was grateful to her for her help, although he was pretty sure that he would have to do some major grovelling on top of what had happened last week. He had been trying to figure out how to make up for the apology, and short of firing Brenda and taking Sharon on a long weekend of sex to New York, he was short of ideas.

_"Seriously, just let him buy you the car, I would!"_

_"Yeah, because you've never restored your own car. There is something so…thrilling about driving a car that you either paid for all by yourself outright, or knowing the reason why the engine works is because of you."_

Will knocked on the door of Sharon's office and opened the door to see his son opposite Sharon at the desk, poring over a car magazine. He smiled at the scene, his son loved cars. However, his step father had refused to let him indulge in his passion, wanting him to spend his money on textbooks and nights out with his friends. Being a surgeon he believed his hands were too sensitive for tinkering on cars.

"Hey, everything okay in here?"

Sharon grinned, and Tommy gave a curt nod. "It's fine Dad. Do you want me to apologise to Chief Johnson?"

Will's eyebrows went up. "No, I don't think you should. She'd probably beat you to death with her purse. In between her crying and yelling at me, she mentioned that her mother was dropping by for a quick visit to talk about her niece, she's not settling back in very well apparently."

Both of them nodded, and Sharon pushed her chair back. "I'm going to go track down my team, they seem to have gone off somewhere. It was lovely to meet you Tommy. Chief Pope," she announced, leaving her office, her hand lingering on the corner of Will's elbow.

Will closed the door behind her and looked at his son. He looked back, and he looked remorseful. Whatever Sharon had done seemed to have changed something in his son. "I'm sorry about what I said to Chief Johnson. She's a bitch but she didn't deserve it. Entirely."

Well it was a sort of apology at any rate.

Will shook his head, and gestured to his son. "Come on, I've got to go to a meeting. You can wait outside and read one of those medical textbooks Steve bought you."

Tommy nodded, and watched as his father walked out of the office. He went to Captain Raydor's desk and scribbled a note down, before smiling. He was too young really to have regrets, and yet Tommy believed that leaving Los Angeles today would be one of his.

X

She would never ever play hide and seek with her team. It was like her whole squad had disappeared; she had checked all over Parker Centre for Simon, Claudia, Tony and Jimmy and was seriously considering firing all of them and stealing some detectives from other departments. After going downstairs and watching the monitors of all the major video cameras, Sharon had finally managed to track her team down. By then it was close to lunch time, and there would be some serious telling off to be dished out.

Simon and Claudia were accompanying a woman, Jimmy was grinning from ear to ear and Tony looked like he was torn between hitting someone with something or merely walking away from the scene completely. After today was over, and Will had sorted his head out concerning his son, she was going to discuss with him if she could change her squad for _normal _detectives.

"Going anywhere exciting?" Sharon asked, and Simon and Claudia turned round sheepishly. The woman they were accompanying also turned around and gave her a smile. She stepped forward and shook Sharon's hand.

"Hello, I'm Willie Rae Johnson, how do you do?"

Oh no. They hadn't.

"I'm fine thank you Mrs Johnson. Do you mind if I had a quick word with my officers?"

She shook her head. "You go ahead dear; we were just about to go out to lunch. My daughter is trying to solve another murder, and has no time for her dear old mother."

Sharon jerked her head angrily towards the corner, and all four of them followed. "I'm going to ask you very calmly: what are you doing with Chief Johnson's mother?"

Claudia elbowed Simon, and he answered her question. "You said to do something creative, something smart to get back at Chief Johnson."

When Sharon had chosen the four detectives that made up her squad, she had done it because they all had their interesting quirks, and mostly because no other department would have them. They were the misfits, the ones who were closer to the people than the others. In some cases, closer to children than others. But overall they believed in the work that FID did, unlike many other police officers. If only they engaged their brains more often.

"I did not tell you to _kidnap Chief Johnson's mother_."

Tony raised his hand. "In their very pitiful defence Captain, Mrs Johnson was wandering around the station. Her daughter is busy with another case; it's a murder of that producer guy that everyone wants to kill. She was bored, so we decided to take her out to lunch."

"You weren't planning to roll her off a cliff, or dump her in the trunk of a car were you?" Sharon asked, and the four detectives looked affronted. "Okay, we haven't got an active case at the moment; everyone is playing like nice boys and girls. So we'll take Mrs Johnson out to lunch, with my supervision so you guys don't do anything stupid. But I want this getting-back-at-Chief-Johnson to stop right now."

"But Captain after what she did to you…."

Sharon interrupted Jimmy. "Yeah, Detective, after what she did to _me._ My feud with Chief Johnson is _my_ business. I don't want you guys to get obsessed with this; we've got people to help and police officers to investigate."

They returned back to Mrs Johnson, and Sharon introduced herself. A flicker of recognition passed over her face, but to her credit she didn't react to who she was. Sharon suggested they go to Otto's Diner for lunch, and everyone agreed. They had made it to the entrance when Lieutenants Provenza and Flynn caught up with them.

"Willie Rae, we were wondering where you had got to!" Provenza exclaimed, and kissed the woman on the cheek. He then glared at the FID detective's who were standing behind her. Flynn had his back, and he joined in the glaring. Willie Rae, being the perceptive sort, noticed the tension between the two.

"My my, it's like being in _West Side Story_. Brenda told me that you two departments didn't like each other, now I don't know why that is…"

"Because they sell out their own people."

"Because they're a bunch of blowhards with a superiority complex."

Willie Rae waved her hand. "Quiet now. From what I've seen of FID you seem to be three lovely young gentlemen and two lovely young ladies. And of Major Crimes you are five well behaved young gentlemen and my Brenda. Now I would like to go to lunch, and I don't care who accompanies me as long as everyone behaves."

There was some mumbling as everyone agreed, and Willie Rae led the way. Provenza insisted on taking her in his car, and once Sharon had given him the address, they were on their way. Tony took Claudia and Simon in his truck, and Jimmy joined Sharon in her car.

"Captain, I'm sorry for my outburst. You're right; we should concentrate on what's important."

Sharon smiled at Jimmy and squeezed his hand. He was finally getting the importance of it all, and she couldn't be happier. Jimmy grinned at her and looked out of the window. Sharon made the turns off by heart; Otto's was ingrained in her blood.

When they pulled outside the diner, Provenza looked at Raydor sceptically. "No one gets into Otto's without a reservation; it's the most popular sandwich place in Los Angeles. Unless you know something we don't, Captain."

"Probably lots of things in your case Provenza," Claudia shot back as she got out of the truck.

"Watch it Belluci."

Willie Rae shook her head and led the way into the diner. Sharon followed with her team, and Provenza and Flynn brought up the rear with the former grumbling. There were no free tables, and Provenza looked smug. However, Flynn knew better and just waited. Behind the counter Otto, a large Italian man with a big moustache, raised his head and grinned when he saw them.

"SHARON! Mina said you would be dropping by soon!" Otto came over to see the party, and engulfed Sharon in a tight hug. He kissed her cheek and checked her for damage. "It's good to see you haven't been shot yet, your father would be so worried about you. Party for seven? Best table in the house!"

As always, Otto moved like a mad man. He cleared off the table nearest the window and the big mural that covered the back wall of the diner. They sat down, and the group perused the menu. Most of them had never set foot in Otto's before, it was a rarity that anyone outside locals and those privileged enough to gain a reservation, get there early enough or pay for a table got in. But Otto's made the best sandwich in all of the city, or so the legend went. They ordered drinks first, and then Otto returned to take down their desired sandwiches.

"Good to see you again Flynn, same as usual?" Otto bellowed, slapping his hand on Flynn's shoulder as hard as he could. The FID team looked at Flynn expectantly, and he groaned as he realised he would have to explain.

"Me and Raydor used to be friends. She'd take me here."

"Friends my dear boy, is that what they're calling it now?" Otto chuckled.

Claudia and Simon managed to take the news pretty well; it was Tony who ended up dribbling his drink down his chin. Otto took their orders and went off to make their sandwiches, and Willie Rae turned to the mural. It was mostly newspaper clippings about what had gone in the local community, plays and street parties. There were several older newspaper clippings from the seventies, and there was one big picture of a police officer next to his car, with a little girl on the roof, his hat on her head.

Otto came back with their orders, and they dug in. Provenza announced it to be the best sandwich he had ever had, and Tony had to agree with him on that. Willie Rae was most impressed with hers, and told Otto so. He kissed her on the cheek and started blushing.

"Otto, could you tell me who that nice young man is, the police officer?"

At that, Otto beamed with pride. "That is Mickey. He worked our little community for ten years, best officer we ever had!"

Some of the older locals raised their glasses, and Willie Rae chuckled. Provenza took another bite of his sandwich. "Who's the girl?"

"That was his daughter; Mickey's wife ran out on them, he took care of her all on his own. He was a great man, was our Mickey."

The group nodded, and turned to the picture again. "Where is she now?" Willie Rae asked, and Otto nodded in the direction of Sharon looking at the picture. "Mickey Raydor was the best cop we ever had working this neighbourhood, and his daughter ain't half bad either," he announced, winking at the Captain.

"Thank you Otto," Sharon whispered, before taking a sip of her water. Flynn didn't miss the way her eyes turned to the picture of her father sadly.

X

He couldn't go through security with him, but once all his luggage was stowed away and his passport was accepted, Tommy was nearly ready to leave LAX. He and his father sat outside the security area, holding a cup of coffee each and killing time. They had another ten minutes before Tommy needed to go through security.

"Captain Raydor's nice; she's a bit forceful but she…she gets to the heart of things."

Will smiled, thinking about her. "Sharon is certainly, if nothing else, persistent."

"If you want to go out with her I think you should. I mean you're single, Chief Johnson's married and a bitch, and…she's kinda cute," Tommy announced, grinning. His father chuckled.

"Thank you, son, for your dating advice."

"No problem Dad."

Both of them looked on the hustle and bustle of the airport, on people having tearful goodbyes as they said goodbye to the person leaving. Will checked his watch and stood up, it was time, too, to say goodbye. Tommy put his coffee cup in the bin and slung his hand luggage over his shoulder.

"So I guess this is it huh?"

"I guess it is. You'll be home for Christmas I take it?" Tommy nodded. "Good, I'll send your present to Washington. Hey, if Estelle has the other two it really will be a quiet Christmas!"

Tommy nodded. "Yeah. Well you never know, I may come back to LA for Christmas!"

"We don't get any snow, I'd stay in Washington."

Tommy looked at the line for security, and realised he had to go. "Dad, do you love me?"

Will felt like he was about to cry. He moved over to his son and grasped the sides of his face. "Tommy I love you so much it kills me. There are only two things I love just as much as you, and that's Caitlin and Brendan. But you'll always be my first child, my son. I am so proud of you, and I know you'll do fantastic at Harvard."

Tommy hugged his father, and didn't want to let go. "Well that makes one of us Dad."

They broke apart, and looking at his watch he realised he had to go. Waving to his father, he headed towards Security. Will stood there until his son went through and into the boarding area. Feeling a heaviness in his chest, he decided to go back to Parker Centre and do some paperwork.

X

Sharon came back from the Diner feeling sad. Her office was the same as it had been when she had left it; thankfully neither Pope had decided to trash it in the midst of an argument. She looked onto her desk and there was a note. She didn't recognise the handwriting; it wasn't her teams or Will's. Must be Tommy's.

_Thank you, friend. _

She checked her watch and realised that Will must have taken Tommy to the airport, and he would probably be in the air by now. Deciding the elder Pope would need a friend, she went up to his office, and knocked on the door. There was movement from inside, and when Will opened the door, he looked like hell.

"Hey."

"Hey."

They sat on the conference table in his office, Will leaning against the wood and Sharon sitting on the top. Will's face was raw, he had been crying. "You know, we were at the airport and he asked me if I loved him. You know I didn't ask him if he loved me back. Guess I won't find out now, will I?"

Sharon rested her head on Will's shoulder, grasping his hand. "He does, Will. He wouldn't want to know if you loved him if he didn't love you back. He's eighteen; everything is messed up in his head. He doesn't know where to belong."

"What did you say to him today? He seemed…different."

She bowed her head. "I told him to stop blaming other people for his problems. He's got a few issues…I don't think he really wants to do medicine, he told me that last week he went into your office and started reading one of your law books."

Will nodded, his grip tightening ever more. "You know, when I divorced Jean, I didn't fight for custody. Estelle wanted a fresh start, and I thought it would be better for Tommy to grow up in Washington with his mother. We moved to LA, I saw him the odd weekend but he hated Estelle, and she hated him. I thought that it would be better for Tommy to only come when he wanted to. You know, I tried to do what was best for him, honestly I did. But I think I just screwed him up worse. Now I worry what Brendan and Caitlin are going to be like."

Sharon reached over and hugged Will, and he held onto her tight. She realised that father and son were very similar, they had a public persona that they tried to create, but really they were alone. When there embrace was broken, Sharon kissed him softly. He was not alone, he had her.

"I guess I'm just a mess, huh?"

"You're not so bad. I'm a cold, frigid bitch. Or at least that's what's written in the men's bathroom."

Will looked at Sharon confused. "How do you know what's written in the Men's bathroom?"

"Simon, Tony, Jimmy."

He laughed. "You've got a good team there, if a little crazy."

Sharon started to laugh too. "Yeah, tell me about it. Today they tried to kidnap Chief Johnson's mother. Then we all went for dinner with Flynn and Provenza." She sighed, remembering the fun they had had at lunch. She turned to Will, her hand resting on his thigh. "Do you want to get something to eat?"

Will shook his head reluctantly. "I got to get back, I need to pick up Caitlin and Brendan and cook them something. Another time, maybe?"

"Maybe."

Will pushed himself away from the table and turned to Sharon. His hands reached around her waist and he pulled her off the table into his arms. They kissed, his mouth caressing hers gently. It was a simple kiss, and Will rested his head in the crook of her neck, kissing her there.

"I want to take you on a proper date, like in a restaurant. I want you to meet my kids; I want you to sleep over at my house. I want you, Sharon Raydor."

She walked him to his car, and he drove off to pick up his kids. On the way, his phone started to ring, so he answered it, turning round the corner onto Mulholland Drive.

"Hello?"

_"I want you too."_

He was grinning as he picked up his children.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings. __The FID team is of my creation, as is Captain Raydor's backstory, but the rest belongs to the lovely folks at TNT_

**_This chapter contains strong language and dark themes. _**

_The problem with keeping secrets is that inevitably everyone finds out. You try and keep something just to you, between a pair or a group and yet you will always break and all your deep dark tales come tumbling out. _

_Her past is entirely hers, and yet she knows it will come out eventually. A manila file, with her past in clear black ink, hidden on request. Every damning secret about New York, buried in the Cold Case archives with other office files hidden for discretion. When she had gone down there the last time to make sure it was still there, she had seen that Brenda Leigh Johnson's file had joined hers. She had resisted going through it, the file code would not be broken. _

_She had noticed how many secrets there were in Parker Centre, how full to the brim the LAPD were with lies. Officers dating their partners, bribes being received, the cops that stalk their old cases. Sharon wondered how many of these secrets Will Pope knew, and how many secrets of his did his officers know. No one knew the biggest secret of course, that the Assistant Chief of Police and the head of FID were engaged in a relationship. "Relationship" was a varied term, she couldn't define the attraction she felt for Will Pope, the tremor in her stomach when she saw him, how his smile made her feel unbelievably special._

_She has no confidant for what was going on with Will. Ben was unsure of how to take her in a relationship and she had made a decision not to tell her brother until it was a sure thing. Annie had problems of her own; her affair with the boss had taken an unusual turn as his wife had left _him_. She laughed at the idea of turning to Flynn or Taylor - maybe once but no more. Tony was her only chance, the only sensible one in her squad. But blurring the boundaries…she had enough of that with her relationship with Will._

_She has moments where she thinks about being ousted with Will. Random fantasies, the tame (kissing in the corridor) to the outrageous (making love on someone's desk). Sharon was good at keeping secrets, exceptional at holding her cards close to her chest and putting her mask on for the day. But with Will she didn't want to be a secret. She was feeling things she hadn't felt since Sam, and she didn't want to be the illicit mistress, kissing in his office and having secret underwear delivered to her own._

_It was a moot point. She knew from experience that no matter how experienced and honed a detective was, the most open of secrets could be kept from them. But she also knew from experience that dirty laundry always came out. _

X

"Touch it."

"No, you touch it."

"I ain't touching it; I've seen _Seven _thank you very much!"

When Sharon entered her office that morning, she didn't expect to find the four members of her squad staring at her desk like it was a dangerous suspect. Simon and Claudia were close to the desk, Jimmy was raking his hands through his tousled hair, and Tony looked like he wanted to go home. It was a shame it was a Wednesday then, but Sharon could feel their pain. After the Webster debacle, which was going to trial soon, the officers were being extra careful about using their weapons. Unfortunately, one officer had been killed because of this, and FID was more hated than ever.

"Anything I can help you guys with?" As Simon and Claudia moved back, Sharon noticed the suspicious package on her desk.

Claudia looked at her commanding officer, then at the package, then back at Sharon. "This was on your desk when we came in. I reckon it's a human head. Kevin Spacey got a grudge against you."

Jimmy put his hands into his pockets and looked at her with disdain. "It's too small to be a human head."

"Maybe it's a monkeys head. Like Simons."

Simon's monkey head shot up and made a noise of discontent. "Hey!"

Sharon looked around to Tony. There were dark circles around his eyes, and his clothes were dishevelled. They locked eyes for a moment, before he turned back to his colleagues. His body was slumped in one of her office chairs, he looked defeated. "By all means, let's get everyone in on this argument. It could, and is most likely, a bomb."

"It's not ticking."

Oh to be Jimmy and so naïve. Sharon clutched her head and turned to her youngest detective, whose eyes seemed to brighten at her gaze. "Thank you Peter." She looked at Claudia with a look that told her she should know better. "Do you want Tinkerbell's help defusing it?"

Pushing past the detectives, Sharon looked at the box resting on her desk. It was a little blue box, with a white bow on the top. Could she ask her staff to leave her in peace, so she could open the box alone? It was a pointless thought, Tony would disagree and insist on calling the bomb squad and the anti terrorism department, which of course meant Major Crimes trundling down to her office.

"Al Queda?" she heard Jimmy hiss.

It was Tony who responded. "The way everyone hates us, I wouldn't put it past being Central."

Ignoring the voices behind her, Sharon took a step forward and slid her fingers under the lid of the box and opened it. There was a collective gasp behind her.

"Head in the box! Head in the box!"

"I'm calling Chief Pope!"

Looking inside the box, Sharon saw neither a monkey nor human head, and there wasn't a bomb inside the blue box either. There was no note; although in silver marker pen on top of the inside was a heart and the letters _WP_. Lifting the gift out, Sharon giggled as she cradled a tub of _Ben and Jerrys _ice cream in her hands. It was Phish Food, one of her favourites and quite accurate considering the label she gave it. Will Pope had given her ice cream.

"Someone has an admirer!" Claudia called from behind her, and Simon began cat calling and singing songs. When Sharon turned to face them and attempt to frown at their actions, she could see that Jimmy had returned to the main room to concentrate on the evidence of the Webster case. Tony was still in the chair.

She smiled, "Maybe I do. Come on, we've got to put Webster away, let's get back to work."

Claudia and Simon started giggling as they fell out of her doorframe, the adrenaline from the previous encounter still in their system. However, Tony stayed in the chair, and Sharon shut the door and closed the blinds.

"You okay Tony?"

He looked up at her, and he started twisting his badge around in his hands. "I want to apply for a transfer."

That wasn't what Sharon was expecting, and she sat down in the chair opposite Tony. "Okay. Any reason in particular? I can understand why you wouldn't want to hang around with the circus…"

"I've been offered a position in Central, and I'm taking it."

"Central?"

It couldn't be Central, they loathed Central, everyone did. They were officers who always screwed up, and had the highest record of officer involved shootings of any department. It had been where Matt Harrison had been, before getting involved in a drug sale that had ended his life.

Tony looked into her eyes, and she could see the pain in them. "I need to be in a job where I'm actually helping people. Ever since Matt died, I haven't been sleeping. I yelled at Claire, she's now at her mothers."

Sharon nodded. "Okay then. How about you sleep on it, and…"

Tony shifted the chair back and smacked it against the wall. "I've already slept on it too long! Captain, I want a transfer from this rotten department. I want to make a difference, I want to actually care. I want to go to a pub with my colleagues after a case, and I most certainly do not want to have to work with idiots!"

She stayed in her chair, looking up at the man she considered a friend. But she couldn't see that in her eyes, all she could see was an officer who was tired of investigating his own. "Out of line Detective."

Tony looked at his commanding officer, and took two steps forward. "I apologise Captain, but it's true. The idiots you have next door make this department a joke, like we need any more reasons to get that label. Our advice is killing good people. As for your dalliance with "WP", it won't help anyone's reputation; least of all yours when everyone finds out you've been fucking the boss. As for Jimmy's puppy dog crush on you, I suggest deal with it sooner or later, before this department ruins his career as well. You may have come into here to try and change the LAPD, but this department is just as rotten as the ones it investigates."

She was sure the slamming of her office door could be heard all the way across the city.

X

Will Pope was smiling. It unnerved several of his colleagues as they had never seen him smile before, but this morning it was different. Despite his meeting across town with the Mayor, and his later meeting with the Chief, he was in a good mood. Especially as when he walked into his office, Sharon Raydor was perched on his desk. She was a creature of beauty, looking ravishing in her business suit. She could make the most severe suits seem wonderful, and her in casual wear was cute beyond words.

"You look great."

"If only my mood matched my outfit."

"Everything okay?" He walked over; kicking the door shut and hugged her. She fitted well against his body, and for a moment he had to forget they were standing in his office, they couldn't escape to a bed so he could hold her there.

"Just departmental issues. I'll sort it out, don't worry. You had a meeting with the Mayor, didn't you?"

Will's good mood fell slightly. He went round the other side of his desk and sat in his chair, looking at the beautiful woman in front of him. "Yeah I did. It was about you. Although the Mayor is very happy that we've cut down officer involved shootings, public opinion is now turned on the officer's side as we get more people coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan."

He saw Sharon nod, and Will felt mean. Their relationship was constantly on a yo yo between the personal and the professional. Wendell had tasked them with keeping FID on the good side of the officers and the public, and they had only made it worse. When they were alone, off duty with their badges hidden in a drawer they had an amazing time, kissing and just being together with each other. But when they were at work, it was all business. Her department was a wreck, and it was his job to keep it under control. But he knew that every case struck her deeply, and she loved every member of her team. He loved that about her, like he had loved it in Brenda.

"I see. So what's going to happen?"

"Wendell is just coming over in about half an hour to go over things, see what we can come up with."

"Okay."

Will stood up and went round to his desk, and he kissed her. It seemed impossible to him that their crazy little dance had been going on for six weeks, but it had been. Their first drunken night together that had led to a crazy morning and an even crazier impromptu trip to the beach. As his lips lingered on hers, Will made a decision.

"Hey, after this meeting, you want to bunk off and go to the beach?"

She smiled, and her fingers linked over his as they held her face. "I would love that Will, I really would."

He moved his head down once again, his lips planting themselves fully on hers. His lips sucked on her bottom one, and his hand moved round to clasp her fully to him. They had been so busy lately that their first time had been their _only _time, but with every afternoon and quick meeting they had, they wanted the other more and more. Sharon broke for air and gasped, and then attacked his shirt buttons, wanting to feel his hot skin under her hands.

His jacket somehow ended up on the floor, and so did hers. Her blouse was hoisted to where Will could get access to her breasts, and she moaned against him as he tweaked her nipples. As the straps of his braces fell to his sides, Sharon cupped his face and kissed him as hard as she could.

The door slamming to the left of them was the first indication that someone was in the room.

The angry face of one Chief Wendell Berrill was another.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

X

She had been outside and could hear the thunderous voice of Wendell as he had shouted at Pope. Not wanting to share the brunt of his anger, she had stood up and gone back to her office. As she approached the door, she could hear Tony having an argument with Simon, and she didn't want to deal with that either.

Sharon instead waited in her car, sitting against the cold leather seats and breathing in deep gulps of oxygen. She had enjoyed the simple life previously, the straight up team who obeyed her orders, the respect she received from her superiors. She didn't need romantic attachments; she just needed the love of Ben and Annie, the adoration of her team.

She had no vices; there was no bottle to crawl into like Andy, no chocolate to consume like Chief Johnson. All she had was the open road, but it was too early in the day to miss work and get on her bike.

There was a knocking on the driver's window, and she could see Will looking through. She opened the passenger door, and he moved round the front of the car to sit next to her. They looked at each other for a moment, as if unsure that this was really happening. The air was thin, the car park dark so they were alone.

"Sorry I left."

"No problem. You didn't need to hear him."

Sharon reached over to grab for Will's fingers, and thankfully he didn't resist. He tightened his grip and brought her knuckles up for a kiss.

"He wasn't best pleased that we were together. He said that it was irresponsible, that we should both be setting a better example and he wanted it to end."

Her first romance in a while and it was being ended by Wendell, a man she considered an ally, a friend. At least this way there would be no illicit cover ups, no hotel room romances. But Sharon found that she couldn't look on the positive of things, she had fallen hard for the man sitting next to her. Maybe she was starved of decent male attention, or maybe she was a true romantic.

"He said if we didn't stop seeing each other, then one of us would lose our jobs. He made it very clear that that one of us would be me."

The final straw, his job. Sharon knew that Will loved his job, loved being a police officer. If that was taken away from him, well she didn't know how he would support his kids; maybe his ex wife would get them? Sharon tried to break their grasp, but Will held on ever tighter.

"I told him to take it. Take the job, fire me for all the good it would do. For the first time in a _very _long time, I'm happy. I've never been so happy than walking down the sea with you. I don't want to give that up Sharon."

Sharon reached over and kissed Will on the lips, dragging them across his mouth viciously. He opened for her, moving his hands into her hair so they could kiss closer.

"And then there's how you _kiss_. My god woman…."

Sharon giggled, and moved onto his lap. He pushed her hair off her face and cupped her cheeks. He grinned as he kissed her again, taking time to savour the moment. "Good thing for us Wendell decided to concede. He gives us a month; if it's serious we can probably continue. If it's just sex…well we have to end it."

"We haven't done much of that," Sharon mumbled into his neck, and he chuckled.

"I was hoping we could change that tonight. Feel like sleeping over?"

Sharon nodded, wondering whether she should bring lingerie or just pyjamas. They made all the arrangements for her to come over and then Will left the car, kissing her one more time before she watched him walk away.

One month. In one month she wouldn't be able to give him up, she knew that much. She always had a talent for falling hard, loving before she was ready. She had cordoned off her heart after Sam, but now it seemed that it was open again.

If only her heart didn't get her into so much trouble.

X

She was still in the car when Jimmy banged on her window. Breaking her reverie she looked up to see the young officer looking harassed. She winded down the window and looked at him.

"Captain, there's been another officer incident."

Sharon opened the door that Will had been sitting in not that long ago. She flooded the engine on her first try, but as she stilled her hands she managed to get it in gear and start the car. Jimmy gave her an address, and she sped off in that direction in the Los Angeles streets.

"What happened?"

They made a left turn, and Sharon looked at Jimmy. "Officer was tackling a suspect, suspect pulled a knife. The officer, Rogers from Traffic."

"What was Rogers from Traffic doing tackling a suspect?"

"Apparently he hadn't paid a ticket, and Rogers was doing some catch up. His wife, the suspects that is, came up and promised a payment. Rogers was happy with that, got in his car. Unfortunately the suspect was not, and Rogers was still shaking from the knife so when the suspect jumped in front of Rogers he hit him with the front of his car."

They were caught in traffic, and Sharon was now all caught up. While they were waiting, Sharon looked at Jimmy. His easy smile, his soft hair. She didn't know if he had a girlfriend, didn't know why he seemed to have a crush on her. He caught her looking at him and grinned.

"Now now Captain, you look at me that way and someone is gonna think something is going on!"

Sharon smiled weakly at him, but he continued on grinning. She needed to tell him about Will, tell him that she was seeing someone, a good someone and that her heart was pretty much spoken for. But she couldn't, it was just a harmless crush that wouldn't come to anything. She didn't want to wreck her team anymore than it was going to be when Tony left. So she kept her mouth shut, punching Jimmy playfully on the arm and defusing the tension.

Thankfully moving out of the traffic, they headed down to the scene of the crime, where the officer was waiting by the ambulance and the suspect was being wheeled away in another one. As she stepped out of the car, she could see Simon and Claudia waiting for them. No sign of Tony, and Sharon's heart slowed.

"Captain Raydor, I'm so glad you're here."

It was not the voice of Chief Johnson, thankfully. Officer force incidents were serious business of course, but not under the jurisdiction of Major Crimes. It was Commander Taylor who welcomed her onto the scene, and there was no sarcasm in his voice, just relief. He put his arm around her shoulder blades and moved her from her officers to the back of the house.

"First things first, I'm sorry about Detective Williams transferring to Major Crimes…"

"He told me he was transferring to Central!"

Taylor made a gesture of lowering her voice, and put his grip tighter around her shoulders. "He was, they need him in Central but I got a call from Chief Berrill about fifteen minutes ago saying that he was going to Major Crimes. Apparently he has some experience in forensic accounting and after Daniels left, they need that."

Sharon felt her blood turn to ice. Chief Johnson was getting _her Tony_? It must be Wendell's doing, a sort of penance for her dating Will. She put on her mask, turning to Taylor and smiling. "Well, that's that then. What do we have here?"

"You know it's okay to be upset. When I lost you and Andy I was."

She looked at him sceptically. "Why are you being nice to me? What's your game Commander?"

Taylor gave her a sad smile, and exhaled. "We're all cops Captain; I think everyone has forgotten that."

X

Simon and Claudia were waiting by the 'victim's' bedside, but Sharon already knew what she thought of the case. By the time she had got home, it was nearly eleven. After she had left the scene she had gone back to Parker Centre to have a long conversation with Tony, which he had walked out of. Wendell wasn't answering any of her calls.

Stepping into her hallway, Sharon could hear her phone ringing intently. Weighing up her options of a comfy bed or picking up the phone, Sharon answered. "Hello?"

"Sharon? Finally."

Will. Shit.

They had agreed she would come over about nine, where they could do some last minute work while he put his kids to bed. When they were asleep they could use the spare bedroom downstairs to sleep in. However, her rotten day had made her forget.

"I'm sorry; I've had such a crappy day."

"Yeah, I heard about Rogers from Traffic."

"Mmm."

"And about Tony. Hon, I'm sorry, I know you love your team, and I know you love Tony's sanity."

Sharon ran a hand through her hair. She was tired; she couldn't focus on having a conversation. "Yeah. Listen I'm sorry I screwed up about tonight."

She heard him chuckle on the other end of the phone. "Not really. How about you still come over and I run you a bath?"

The feeling of hot water over her skin, bubbles, the sensation of Will's bare skin against her own…"Only if you join me."

"I'll be waiting."

And he was. When she had driven over to his and parked her car on the drive, he was hanging out of the doorway for her. She was still in work clothes, couldn't be bothered to pack any of the sexy lingerie she didn't have, or pyjamas or a toothbrush. Will kissed her on the cheek, and invited her in.

"This is the lounge, and back there is the kitchen. The spare bedroom is at the back, we wanted something that Estelle's parents could stay in when they came over. Now it's just empty."

Sharon smiled at the house, less tidy from her own. There were toys all over the floor, mugs of cold coffee on table surfaces. As Will went to the kitchen for drinks, Sharon picked up a piece of paper beside one of the mugs.

_Dear Dad_

_Harvard is just what you would expect from a high scale place, even coming from DC. Everyone speaks Latin…I can barely get English!_

Will's hand encircled her waist, gathering her into an embrace and his face buried itself into her shoulder. He looked at the letter she was holding, and Sharon could feel his grin through her jacket.

"He's written to me twice since he left. _Written me_, he wants to talk to me. Can you believe that?"

"Well who wouldn't?"

He kissed her, tracing his tongue over her lips and sinking into her mouth, making her gasp. He was soon pulling off her jacket and leaving it on the floor, leaving her in the white blouse she had on earlier. His kiss deepened, and the two wine glasses of water he had been carrying were placed down.

They slowly crept up to the ensuite in Will's bedroom, thankfully at one end of the hall away from the kids. Sharon looked at Will's bedroom, at the large bed and crisp sheets while he ran the water.

"We've both had a hard day, so let's relax," Will whispered, unbuttoning her blouse and leaving it on the floor. Sharon blushed as she slid her hand over his chest, caressing the heat she could feel from his skin. He left her alone for a moment to get the two glasses of water they had, and she stripped off her brassiere, leaving her topless.

Wills hands grazed her navel, unbuttoning her suit trousers and sending them to the floor. His mouth caressed her neck, drawing an illicit moan from her as his fingers slid inside her panties, tracing her sex slowly.

"Remind me why we're not drinking wine?" Sharon moaned as her underwear joined the pile of clothes on the floor.

"Because I had you once drunk, I want to properly remember this time."

She grinned as she slid from him and into the large tub, biting her lip happily as the hot water ran over her body. Will smirked at her expression and began taking off his socks, and pulling off his t-shirt.

Sharon grabbed for his trousers, and pulled him close to the tub where she kissed above his belly button and traced a line with her tongue all the way to the zip of his jeans. As they joined her clothes on the floor, she moved forward in the tub, allowing Will to sit behind her, spooning her in the hot water.

Once they were both settled, Will reached for the glasses of water and passed hers into her hand. He then reached over, spilling water onto the floor, for a small plastic bag, which had inside a tub of ice cream and two spoons.

"Fancy a lick?"

Sharon settled against his chest, taking her own spoon and digging into the ice cream, feeding him little chocolate pieces and he feeding her marshmallow, using the bubbles to wash off the ice cream that ended up on both their bodies.

"I am sorry about Tony, Sharon," Will mumbled when the ice cream had finished.

"I know."

She didn't want to talk about Tony, didn't want to talk about her team breaking into pieces. "Maybe you could give me Flynn."

"Hmm? Flynn…really?"

Sharon toyed with the spoon between her fingers. "When we don't hate each other, we work well together." Of course it had been a long, long time ago when they had actually got on. But the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to repair things with Andy.

"Well Brenda's team…"

"…is Brenda's team. I know."

They sat in the cooling water, the bubbles disappearing between their eyes. Will kissed her cheek. "I could give you Gabriel."

"Brenda's favourite?"

Will nodded next to her. "Why not? Or we could start a rotation of officers; get them to really appreciate FID."

Sharon had started to giggle, and soon all the bubbles were gone. Outside of the tub, Will rubbed Sharon dry, brushing noses before exchanging a deep kiss.

"I haven't got any pyjamas."

"That's okay. You can wear one of my shirts. Or nothing at all."

Will came out of the bathroom ten minutes later to find Sharon looking at the pictures of his kids, her legs crossed by the ankle behind her as she wore one of his shirts. Lying down beside her, his hands crept up her legs to cup her behind, causing her to giggle and put the photo down.

"Aren't we going to move to the guest bedroom?"

"I want you here."

Will kissed her, moving her onto her back and his hand moved ever higher. He unbuttoned the shirt and caressed her breasts with his fingers, his mouth, tracing her nipples with both. She arched into his touch, and he moved down to cup her sex. Spreading her, he sunk two fingers straight in, knowing he would find her wet.

He threw off his robe and kissed his way down her body until his tongue danced over her clit. As his strokes grew bolder, Sharon gripped the bed sheets intently. She came apart in his hands, and when she was still recovering, he entered her. Will spun Sharon around again, so she was on top of him. As her face fell, he kissed her and caressed her back gently, rubbing his fingers over her scars.

His whispered words of adoration met her ears, and she saved them in her mind as he came beneath her. Under the covers, as the early morning approached, Will whispered them again, sending her off to sleep. He held her until sleep took him, and he woke up early to just watch her, the beautiful woman who made him feel so incredible.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings. __The FID team is of my creation, as is Captain Raydor's backstory, but the rest belongs to the lovely folks at TNT_

_Blood._

_It all comes down to blood. _

_Blood on a scraped knee. Blood on a kitchen table. Blood running through her veins, blood dripping out onto a cold wet floor. All the same, all the same. _

_Will doesn't care about her blood when they lay on her bed, or his, when she's wearing his shirt. They talk about the force, about the lives they lead, and it never comes down to blood. It's been spilled too many times to warrant any serious consideration, and yet Will treats her scars with reverence, cupping her face as they kiss. The only time blood comes into it is when he cuts himself shaving, and Sharon can hear his curse from the bathroom._

_She kisses him better, after the blood has stopped flowing._

_Bad blood, blue blood, IA cops don't bleed the same as those on the beat. She's heard it all, listened to the mutterings as she walks past. She's seen her blood, dripping onto tarmac, onto the polish of her desk. Her own skin bruises like any other, bloody lips and black eyes from suspects, from other officers; love bites and marks on her neck from a man that worships her. Her blood on tissues, a cold flannel pressed against her mouth, Tony mopping up the remnants of another officer versus officer fight. She's seen them, loyal officer blood on the ground, soaking through white sheets. _

_They look, they want to spit. "Your blood ain't the same."_

_But it is, it's the same. Always the same. _

_It's just blood. _

_Inconspicuously, she watches Tony in Major Crimes. His blood is still the same as Flynn's, or Provenza's, she knows this better than others. But it doesn't matter, he is still given the worst assignments, the looks and the rolls of the eye, his ideas shot down at every turn. It's hurting him, him and his family. She's spoken to Taylor, ever briefly after what seems to be a temporary truce. His wife hasn't returned, Tony's mood is still dark. Flynn sees her out of the corner of his eye, and she knows that he's struggling. As much as he hates her now, hates FID and her team, he knows what it's like to be Tony. _

_But he's in the group, he's in the gang. _

_His blood has changed, he matches the rest. _

_They see so much blood in what they do, in their jobs. Yet she's still afraid of it, still can't bear to see it escape skin. She's been to the department shrink, years ago when she couldn't stand being around a corpse. The boys scoffed at her, she was a girl after all. But Flynn saw something different, knew it was the blood itself that made her own cling to her body. The shrink thought it went back to when her back was torn up, but she knows differently. _

_It's the blood dripping to the kitchen floor._

X

"Your boy isn't doing so good."

Sharon Raydor had just reached the third floor, a little later than usual as her car wouldn't start. She had considered taking the bike, but the bike was just for her, her escape. She turned to Andy Flynn and looked at him, he never changed. Same bright smile, same ring on his finger. "Tony isn't my boy anymore."

High School never ended; when you moved to College or the workplace you had the same structure, the same groups. Major Crimes were the alternative kids, the ones who didn't get on with authority but you respected because they were _cool_. Robbery/Homicide were the football players, the cheerleaders. Traffic were the chess club, the hall monitors. FID were the teachers, the ones who kept the others in line.

She didn't have time for schoolyard debates; she didn't need to get into an argument with Flynn, she just didn't have the energy anymore. However, as she moved down the corridor to get to her office, he followed, moving in front of her to block her path. His eyes met hers, and she stilled as she saw a fleck of sympathy in them.

"He's not doing so well, he doesn't fit right. I think we should swap, Tao for Tony."

Tao had volunteered to work in FID for a couple of weeks, although Chief Johnson had fought Will long and hard so none of her department was relegated to Internal Affairs. Losing the technical genius of Tao for Tony's thinking was unfortunate for Brenda, although he did have a remarkable way of thinking outside the box that had helped them on their last two cases. Sharon wasn't sure how Major Crimes was holding up, missing one of their own, but she knew that things had been a lot more subdued in the FID offices without Tony there.

"Talk to your boss about it Flynn, not me."

She pushed past him, and he reached for her hand, holding it tight in his. "Your skin is ice cold," he muttered as he let her hand drop to the floor.

"It's always been that way Flynn; you were probably too drunk to notice."

She left him in the hallway, chewing on her words. Her day did not get much better.

X

She needed a break for a few moments; the quietness of her office was beginning to drive her crazy. From her place on the roof, she could see over the whole of Los Angeles, and the sight took her breath away. She had been in high places in New York, but there was just something about this city…she couldn't leave it, no matter how much she wanted to. Now there was an extra reason to stay, her relationship with Will. It was moving fast, she was rushed off her feet and she enjoyed the feeling.

"You okay Captain?" Jimmy asked, disturbing her thoughts as he stood next to Sharon on the railings. She welcomed the company, she knew he was feeling the loss of Tony too; he had been like a mentor to the young Jimmy. As for Simon and Claudia, Sharon thought they were trying to prove to him that they could be serious police officers in and out of the office, but it just seemed too normal, and there was nothing normal about her team.

"Not really Jimmy. But I'll cope, I always do." He nodded and put his hand on her shoulder. Her eyes closed as he squeezed reassuringly. She shifted her shoulder away from him and put both into leaning over the edge. Sometimes she just felt like jumping, feeling the rush of air behind her. It's what led her to her bike, led her to Will. Her peace.

They looked over the Los Angeles skyline for a moment until Jimmy coughed. Sharon looked at him enquiringly. He was just a Sergeant, a good feat for someone so young but he had a long way to go till he became a Lieutenant. He had so much potential in him, he just needed to focus it, be a leader instead of a follower. "What is it?"

He looked to the floor. "Webster wants to talk. He says he's got info on other dirty cops, wants to spill for a lesser sentence."

Sharon scoffed and shook her head. "Bullshit, he knows nothing. Any dirty cop that is common knowledge would be gone quicker than an Assistant Chief. As for a lesser sentence, he shot a guy who was hitting on his girlfriend." She closed her eyes and laughed disbelievingly. "I've seen plenty of bad cops who do dirty things, but that's right up in there."

"If only Chief Johnson agreed with you."

She turned round to face Jimmy, her mouth open. Her day had gone from bad to seriously tragic in all of twenty seconds. "Don't. Don't joke like that."

His eyes looked tired, older than they should be. This job was hard on all of them, but Sharon guessed she had just gotten used to it, like those in murder division got used to the corpses. "Chief Johnson is listening to him, because she thinks that it's worthwhile, and FID isn't doing anything of value if they haven't found them already. And the Chief is agreeing with her."

"Chief Pope?"

Jimmy sighed. "No, which is weird. He sided with us, said that Webster was a bastard that needed to be locked up and tied up with duct tape. Chief Berrill is siding with Chief Johnson."

Sharon rested her head in her hands; it seemed that Wendell was still pissed at her for her relationship with Will. But there was professional and personal…it then occurred to Sharon whether Will had taken her side not because it was the right thing to do, but because they were sleeping together.

"Jimmy, tell Tony to come to the garage near Otto's Deli at five, I need to go talk to someone."

Sharon headed away from the edge, leaving Jimmy there to look over the city. She took the lift down to Will's office, her heart beating in her ears so hard it was all she could hear. Once she got down to the third floor, she slowed down but didn't make eye contact with anyone. She ignored the secretary and knocked on Will's door, waiting impatiently on the other side. He came to the door himself, saw her and smiled before ushering her inside.

He looked a little stressed, a little more tired than when she had seen him the other day, in her bed watching her go over files. He had come over for a little dinner, they had made love and then he had stayed a while before going back to his house to relieve the babysitter. However it wasn't time for a personal catch up, and thankfully Will didn't make any move to kiss her, he just came right out with it. "I take it you heard about Brenda and Webster."

"I did. Jimmy….Detective Beatie said that you were against it. Why?"

Will had sat at his desk, running his fingers over the edge of the table, staring into space. He had a little grin on his face, and Sharon was sure he was replaying the other night. "What do you mean why? Surely it's obvious."

Sharon walked over to sit on the edge of his desk so she didn't feel like she was yelling across from him. "Not to me. Why were you against it?"

Will sat up and looked at her, his face confused. "Because Webster is a dirty cop who used his gun not for the good of this city, not for the people living here, but for personal gain, for personal evil. He deserves to rot, he knows jack all; this is just a ploy by his lawyer that Brenda is falling for to get one over on you."

"Oh. Well. Good."

He grinned from his seat as he leaned back, and looked up at her. "Did you think I stood on FID's side because of us?" She tried to cover her features, but his chuckle said he had figured her out. "You did, didn't you?"

Sharon brushed a lock of hair off her face and tried to act nonchalant. "Maybe a little. You always used to take Brenda's side…"

"Sharon, you are right on this case, you are right about a lot of your cases, your methods can be a little wonky, but you're good at what you do. And you're beautiful, and I'm crazy about you, but the two things do not go hand in hand in this place."

Sharon took a step closer to Will and smiled shyly. "You're crazy about me?"

Will laughed before leaning over and grabbing Sharon, pulling her onto his lap. She squealed before he covered her mouth with his, enjoying her surprise in their kiss. The chair pulled backward as it adjusted to both their weight, and Sharon sorted herself out, putting both her legs either side of Will, her skirt riding up her legs as she straddled him. He pushed her jacket off her shoulders, and caressed her bare arms before leaning into kiss her again. It was a slow kiss, languid and erotic as Will's hands moved up Sharon's back, teasing her skin with his long fingers. She started unbuttoning his shirt to get to his bare skin, pulling aside the expensive suit to pinch his nipples playfully.

"See what you do to me woman?" Will gasped, kissing down to her breasts and under the fabric of her blouse.

He was about to unbutton her blouse, he could see her black brassiere through the fabric when his secretary buzzed in, ruining the mood. "Chief Pope, Deputy Chief Johnson is here to see you."

Will hang his head back and groaned. He was carrying half an erection, and the head of FID was mused up, aroused and on his lap. "Tell her to give me ten minutes; I'm having a very important conversation with Captain Raydor."

He waited ten seconds and motioned for Sharon to cover her ears, before yelling: "I am on your side with this Captain!"

He tapped Sharon on the nose as she got up from his lap, and yelled back: "I understand that Chief, but Chief Johnson has lost her damn mind!"

They could hear a sniff from the other side of the door and they started to giggle quietly as they sorted themselves out. They finished in six minutes, Will closing his eyes and thinking of old case files as Sharon finger brushed her hair. He stood up when he was ready and kissed her cheek. "I'll see if I can persuade Brenda not to do this, but she's got the Chief's backing. Just watch yours, and I'll call you later."

As she headed out of Will's office, she smirked at Brenda who just frowned back. It was three o'clock in the afternoon; she needed to head over to the garage to meet Tony and see if she could persuade him to help her. Sharon stopped into the FID offices to say goodbye to Claudia and Simon, who waved her away as they were being talked to by Tao about firearms recognition.

However much she missed Tony, it was nice to have someone who knew more than how to open a word document.

X

She went up into the hills on her bike, twisting around the roads and keeping close to the edge, perching dangerously on the tip of life and death. As a teenager, she had learned to ride a bike before a car, and she and Sam would go out into the state on their bikes. They would go over the speed limit, cheat death on every inch of tarmac. Back in the present, Sharon turned around and headed onto a busy road, weaving in and out of cars. She could see several patrol cars and dropped her speed; she didn't need to explain to two officers in traffic why the head of FID was racing around the streets of LA in leather.

She drove past Otto's deli and headed for the garage down the block. Her uncle had owned it back when she was a kid, but when he was diagnosed with Cancer; he had left it to Otto's son Jeremy. Having been adopted into their family, the garage was her own personal workshop for things she couldn't do at home, and when she couldn't face the past at home and the present in the office, she would help Jeremy out with a few things.

As she slowed her speed, she could see Tony waiting outside. She hit the stand for her bike, and pulled off her helmet, looking at her former detective. He looked worse than he had when he had been under her command, and she felt an instantaneous need to mother him, even though he was nearly the same age as her, and took care of her more than she did him.

"Hey Tony."

He nodded at her. "Captain. Jimmy said you wanted to see me?"

She took a bottle of the water from the side and gulped some down. She pulled off her leather jacket and noticed Tony staring at the red logo on the sleeve. "I used to race back in New York, way before I joined the LAPD. Kept the jacket as a souvenir. I did want to see you Tony; it's about the Webster case."

She sat on her motorbike, and he leaned against the wall. It was a little awkward, but Sharon had no other choice: Webster was not to be trusted and Chief Johnson was making a huge mistake. Tony nodded. "I don't agree with what Chief Johnson is doing, Webster is a bastard but if he knows about other officers…"

"He doesn't."

"I know. But we are just as much at fault for Webster as he is. We need to give better training, better skills, better psychiatric tests. We're after the fact, not pre-emptive. Because of that a lot of people are going to die."

Sharon nodded at Tony; she knew what he was saying. As she finished going over his speech, she smiled wistfully. He nodded at her and stood up to go.

"You said 'we'."

Tony turned around and looked at his former commanding officer with sadness in his face. He shoved a hand into his pocket and ran the other one through his hair. "I did. Because however much I hate what we do to the LAPD, if there wasn't FID then there would be a hell of a lot more dead civilians on deck."

She watched him walk away, and waited until he had opened his car door before she started to cry.

X

Brenda was in her office, looking over the case of Sergeant Jake Webster. He had come far in the academy, despite his youth and his cockiness. His Dad owned a car repair shop in the high end of LA and had paid for him to attend Yale, but he had been led back to the LAPD because of his grandfather, a retired beat officer. She tried to look for the positive, maybe a young man who had been pushed too far, the rules of the FID twisting the department into a gun fearing force. But she couldn't find any of it; all she saw was a young man who used his weapon against a civilian while drunk.

She felt disgusted even looking at his file.

There was a knock on the door, and she saw Lieutenant Tony Williams standing there. She had been angry at the temporary transfer, but she did like his thinking, even if it was obvious that he had been taught by Captain Raydor, and was still gravely loyal to her. She beckoned him in.

"Detective, can I do anything for you?"

He looked at her straight rather than his shoes. His boldness was refreshing. "Bringing in Webster isn't right, he's a twat and whatever vendetta you've got going against FID isn't going to change the fact that he knows nothing."

She shuffled the files on her desk. Sometimes boldness could be refreshing, and sometimes it could be disobedience in disguise. But Brenda knew that he was right, in some respect. "It doesn't matter what I think, or feel _Detective_. What matters is that the Chief agrees with me that it's worth looking into, and FID can't because of your current case against him."

Tony looked at her with piercing eyes. "You said 'your'. I'm not with FID anymore Chief Johnson."

She smiled. "Not on paper, but your heart is Detective. Is there anything else?"

"They're bringing him down now."

X

She didn't know why she had gone down to watch Webster come through. The bastard hadn't even made bail; the judges had decided that it was too dangerous for him to be out on the streets. He was walking down the corridor to Major Crimes, which just happened to go past the FID offices. His lawyer was with him, and was making a big tirade of letting him out of his handcuffs. It was Flynn and a younger detective from Central who was carrying him down, Sharon recognised him as one of Webster's old colleagues. Flynn unlocked the handcuffs and yelled at the lawyer, who just shook his head and wrote something down, a note to go against the judge presumably.

Sharon looked at Webster and frowned. His blonde hair was now lank and greasy, and his face was gaunt, like he hadn't been eating. She had seen men who had shot people before, knew the look of guilt in their eyes, knew their hollowed cheeks were from the pain they were feeling inside. Sharon gazed at Webster and saw none of that, his eyes were wide, electrified. He didn't feel any guilt.

They matched stares as he went passed, and he grinned at her. She felt Jimmy's hand on her elbow, although it did little to comfort her. Provenza came up to Flynn and they started talking, glancing towards her briefly before they started arguing with the lawyer again.

Sharon had been in fights before, had been in moments of passion, drama, and knew that every second felt like a millennium. Your body, your movements, even time itself slows down while your racing heart keeps rhythm. Sharon had had many moments like that, and when she saw Webster's bare hand reach for the gun in the Central officers holster, she was about to scream out, but her throat wouldn't work.

Bang.

Blood.

Sharon broke out of her shock to see Jimmy collapsing by her side. She crashed to the floor beside him and checked him over, but at the sight of his blood she couldn't move. His side was bleeding; the bullet in the Central officer's gun had clipped him. She needed to apply pressure but she couldn't, her arms felt like they were glued to her sides and all she could do was watch the droplets hit the floor.

Drop.

Drop.

She saw Webster's head bang off the wall, and Flynn was on his heels digging his nails into his skin so hard the gun dropped to the floor. The other officer was in shock, and Gabriel was talking to him, but it was all white noise. The blood was pooling underneath Jimmy's torso, and then suddenly a jacket blocked out all the blood and she was hauled to her feet by hands she remembered on her skin.

As her vision shook, she could feel Will's hands on her hips, steadying her. Tony was on the floor, his jacket pressed against Jimmy's side. He was calling for an ambulance, though it was just a clip, Jimmy needed to get to hospital soon or infection could set in. Tony's eyes met hers, and he smiled weakly at her, pressing against Jimmy to hold the blood in. Will's fingers gripped hers, and he whispered in her ear. "It's going to be okay, he'll be okay."

She felt her legs buckle from under her, but Will was there to catch her as she fell.

X

"Tell me Brenda, did you ever consider for one single minute that Jake Webster may be a psychopath?"

Jimmy had been taken away in an ambulance, and Sharon had gone with him, covered in a blanket until her legs returned to normal. Will had stayed behind to brief the Chief, who had reamed both him and Chief Johnson. Now it was his time to yell. Will sat behind his desk, his hands not visible. They were shaking; he had heard Flynn as Jimmy had been pushed into the ambulance. The bullet had gone for Sharon, and it had shaken him to think that it could have been him waiting by her hospital bed instead of Sharon looking over Jimmy.

Brenda smiled weakly, trying to recover her thoughts. "There was a chance…"

Will slammed his hands on his desk. "No, there was never a chance. You were just using his excuse to outsmart FID, to prove Captain Raydor wrong. But I guess it's a win for you anyway, Sergeant Beatie's in the hospital, FID is one man down."

She looked affronted, but he didn't care. He'd had enough of Brenda's crap, enough of her team.

"I never wanted anyone to get hurt, you know me Will!"

"No, I don't. I don't know this manipulative side of you Brenda, and I don't like it. You can have Tao back, and I'll send Williams back to FID, you got what you wanted there. But congratulations, your entire team is going on unpaid leave for a week."

"Murderers aren't going to go on a one week vacation, Will!"

Will looked at her, his eyes ice. "Taylor can deal with it. Maybe spend some time with Fritz, go visit your parents, I don't care. Just think about what you did, because you're not concentrating on justice any more Brenda, you're on a one way revenge mission, against Stroh, against Raydor. And I don't want that in my force."

Brenda looked at him, confused, and Will couldn't see the woman he had fell in love with all those years ago. He sat in his seat, memories of earlier with Sharon curled up in his lap glossing his eyes. Brenda had always been an open book to him, and now he could see further into her then he could imagine. Sharon…was a mystery, something he wanted to unwrap and see what was underneath. Something he had almost lost.

"Take some time off, all of you. You never seem to have a break, I think you all need to recharge. I've given you a week unpaid; when Internal Affairs review it they may give you and Flynn more. Figure out what you're doing Brenda, before you end up in front of FID due to your own actions."

"Will…"

"Now get out."

She looked at him, but he turned his chair away. He couldn't look at her, not when she had risked the life of one of their own officers in a completely unacceptable way. He could deny it to Sharon as much as he wanted, but the feeling he had now….that was fear. He had come close to losing something that made him want to wake up in the morning, that made things a little more bearable in the harsh light of Los Angeles.

He needed to see her, so he left his office and drove to the hospital.

X

Sharon was sitting in an uncomfortable hospital chair, sipping a glass of water. She ignored the sounds of the hospital and just focussed on Jimmy, looking so pale under the hospital bed sheets. As the ambulance had come, one of the paramedics had taken her aside and she explained her fear of blood, and he had made her sit down. Jimmy had been lucky…her fear had nearly killed him.

"Captain, you okay?" Jimmy whispered from the bed, giving her a weak smile.

Her voice nearly broke as she spoke to him. "Jimmy, you're the one who's in hospital."

"But are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

The door opened and Tony came in, sitting next to the young officer opposite Sharon. He planted a bag next to him on the table and grinned at Jimmy. He pulled out the items. "They didn't have any grapes in the gift shop, so I got you a Hershey bar and a bottle of Jack Daniels. Always good to pick you up after you've been shot by a bastard."

They talked for a little while, and then Jimmy fell asleep, holding the hand she had clasped in his as she had waited for him to wake up. Tony still sat there, before he got a second bag out of his coat and pulled out another bottle of Jack Daniels and passed a paper cup to Sharon.

"We got lucky today, it was just a clip. But I was talking to Flynn, and he's ninety percent sure that Webster was aiming for you."

Sharon knew she should feel something, maybe fear of Webster or a sense of relief that Jimmy was okay. But all she felt was numb. She took a sip of the Whiskey, and then took a larger gulp and enjoyed the thick burn of the alcohol as it trickled down her throat. She felt the numbness edge away and her senses returned.

"Thanks for helping out with Jimmy."

Tony nodded at her and took his own gulp of the whiskey. "It's no problem, Jimmy is a good kid. Are _you _okay?"

"Yeah. I'm afraid of blood."

It was the first time she had come straight out with it; she usually had to be coaxed or had a long conversation about it. But Tony just nodded and finished off his glass. "I'm afraid of monkeys, I hate going to the zoo with my kids, they're just too…furry. Anyway, we've got a bigger problem. Webster's lawyer is very good, and shooting an officer isn't a good plan but we need to look at our case, make sure there aren't any holes. I have a feeling that this could be the case that makes or breaks us Captain, and if Webster gets off, we're all finished."

Sharon finished off the whiskey and placed the paper cup on the heart monitor. "The vultures are circling."

"Yes they are. I'd like to come back."

"What if I don't want you?"

Tony chuckled. "Well then I guess I'll transfer to traffic and be hated by _everybody_."

Sharon snorted. "Traffic isn't hated by everybody, its Central that is."

"Bloody Central."

They continued to laugh for a moment until Claudia and Simon knocked on the door, and Sharon opened the door to let them in. They saw the whiskey on Tony's lap and promptly each asked for a cup. They discussed nothing of consequence, congratulated Tony on coming back and watched as Simon took the time to put his paper cup on a sleeping Claudia's head. Jimmy woke up to them laughing.

"Hey, can I have some of what you're drinking?"

"I don't know Jimmy, you old enough to drink yet?"

"Hey…"

Sharon laughed at her team, watching them all with pride and love. She stifled a yawn, and decided to head home. She hugged Tony and Simon, before kissing Jimmy on the cheek. "I'll be in tomorrow to check on you. And _thank you_."

She was waiting outside for a taxi back home when Will drove up. He waved at her, showed an orderly his badge, and then started walking towards her. He was only a couple of feet away when she couldn't bear it any longer and she rushed into his arms.

"How is Jimmy?" Will asked when they broke apart. Sharon's face looked pale and raw, like she had been crying.

"He's good, doctors are happy with him, everything seems okay. It's just…I froze. If Tony hadn't of been there then god knows what would have happened because I was too scared."

Will kissed her temple and rested her forehead against hers. "It's okay hon, he's okay, Jimmy's fine. And Tony _was _there. It's okay."

They sat on the brick wall outside of the hospital, with Will's arms wrapped comfortingly around her.

"Webster was aiming for me, and Jimmy took the bullet. I should have least put pressure on the wound."

Will nodded, and squeezed her hand. "I know baby. If you want to see someone, then the staff shrink is always available."

"Been there, done that. Nothing they could do. I'll just have to work through it."

Will looked at her enquiringly after a few moments of silence, he had had a thought. "You're afraid of blood, so how do you shave your legs?"

Sharon giggled at his ice breaker and she smacked him in the stomach before hugging him again. He held onto her waist tight, keeping her safe in his arms. "I wax, dummy. God…what a question!"

"Made you laugh, didn't it."

"Shut up."

They sat like that for a little while until Sharon kissed Will gently, and he brushed her hair away from her face. "Want a lift home? Maybe we could finish what we started yesterday."

"Maybe…if you're lucky."

X

"That bitch needs to be taken down a peg or too," Provenza muttered as he doodled on the whiteboard, drawing a house and a pair of feet sticking out from under it. Sitting on the edge of his desk, Flynn didn't say anything.

"I'm all for that," Gabriel said from his desk, memories of his own FID investigation playing in his head. As Provenza continued his drawing, he grinned and turned around to address Flynn. "What about you?"

Flynn walked over to this desk, not saying a word. He opened his desk drawer and took out a slim cardboard folder. Inside were newspaper articles and pictures of old cases, cold cases, rotten cases. If she had forgotten the past, then he could forget it too. He slammed his desk drawer shut and grinned at his best friend, walking over to join them by the whiteboard.

"Let's take the bitch down."

They looked through the window at the Chief talking with her husband, explaining to him that the department had been shut down for a week. Tao didn't say anything, just continued sorting out the fragments of their last case, not committing himself to anything. Provenza looked at Sanchez, who met his eyes.

"I don't like FID, sir, but I know what it's like to get shot. That Jimmy guy didn't deserve it."

Flynn shrugged. "Beatie is one of Raydor's boys, he won't change, he's got a crush on her."

"A crush on the Snow Queen? Impossible."

Gabriel stood up and moved over to join Flynn and Provenza. "If these guys don't want in, I'm fine with that. But I think we need to help the Chief on this, it's not fair on her what Raydor's doing. She'll destroy the whole force if she keeps up what she's doing, someone needs to do something."

Provenza got a glint in his eye. "Then I think it's time we destroyed her." He finished the detail on his drawing, leaving a police badge on the side behind the witch's hat and feet. "I'm sure Captain Raydor has some skeletons in her closet, something dark and humiliating. She better watch out Sergeant, a storm is brewing in Parker Centre, and a house is going to fall right on top of her."

He put the cap on his marker.


	9. Chapter 9

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings_

**Chapter Nine**

_She remembers being six, and sleeping in till midday. It was a Thursday, and no school because of Thanksgiving. Her father would once again brush off his mother's invitation for him and his daughter to come to New York to celebrate the holiday, placating her with his need to be on call for work. Only Sharon knew the truth: that on Thanksgiving and Christmas he would pack up his gun, badge and unplug the phone, spending his time focussing on her. _

_All her friends at school would come in on Monday morning, talking about the huge turkey they had eaten, watching the parade on television and giggling about the games they had played with their families. Sharon told the same story that everyone else told, not going into any detail and everyone was too busy describing their own Thanksgivings to concentrate on hers. Her Thanksgiving with her father was private, just for them. _

_They didn't have turkey, not in the traditional sense. Her father would make patties out of the meat and cook them turkey burgers on the barbecue, and they'd sit out in the garden, enjoying the sunshine. They didn't watch the parade either, instead her father took her to the sea and they'd watch the waves crash against the beach. _

_It was her perfect Thanksgiving. _

_Ben was different to her father. The three of them; she, Ben and Annie would watch in their New York apartment, looking out over the parade and giggling at the events and the Santa they had this year. They'd watch comedies all day, eating biscuits and pumpkin pie that Annie had made. Turkey was forgotten, all they ate was sugar. _

_After she had moved back to Los Angeles and Ben and Annie had followed her, they continued to go to New York for Thanksgiving. Ben still had that old apartment, he needed it for when he returned on business. They would watch the parade and eat sugar and play weird games and avoid the world, it was just the three of them. After Ben had gone to sleep, and Annie was trying to talk to the latest man in her life to wish him a happy Thanksgiving, Sharon would slip out._

_New York seemed to get colder every time she visited; and Los Angeles warmer every time she returned. She would walk, then take the subway out to the suburbs and visit her old house. She'd lean against the lamppost, where Sam had waited for her many times to sneak out. She'd look inside the warm family home, watch the father carving the turkey and the family saying thanks for a wonderfully Stepford year. _

_Sharon had never had Thanksgiving in that house. Once they had moved back to New York, they had no excuse to not visit her Grandmother. They would be around all their family, and it would be her and her father, the echoes and outcasts. Her aunts and uncles were married, with good jobs and loving kids. They had two Thanksgivings there before her Grandmother passed away, broken hearted some said. No more Thanksgivings for the Raydor family, no more pumpkin pie with chocolate cream. _

_There was only one Thanksgiving she didn't spend in New York since she became a grown woman, the year they were hunting the UCLA killer. She couldn't risk going to New York for a weekend, so she spent it with Flynn. Turkey sandwiches in the back of a black and white, the radio on playing the football game. Once night had fallen, they would beat baseballs out on a rundown field, before making out heavily in the backseat, trying to fight away the cold of the autumn, and the freeze of the dead girls they were surrounded by. _

X

He didn't know why he was so nervous, apart from the obvious. He had thought about where he would ask her: the parking lot, or maybe by the lifts? Her office perhaps, but that was too dangerous. Williams knew about them, but the others were still oblivious to their commanding officer and the Assistant Chief in a relationship, as were the rest of the LAPD.

He had decided on the lifts, and as she came out, Will smiled brightly. Her hair was down, and she was wearing a trouser suit with her leather jacket around her shoulders instead of the jacket that was slung over her arm. She had taken the bike to work it seemed, a rarity for her but it showed Will that she was becoming more comfortable with the LAPD, with him. Will had been promised a ride on a crisp afternoon when they were both free, and the thought thrilled and scared him at the same time.

"Morning Captain."

"Morning Chief, how are you doing?"

He smiled, and kept as close to her as he could allow in public as they walked down the corridor to her office. "Good, good. Not a lot of crime this week, everyone is busy buying turkeys and making pumpkin pie."

Sharon giggled and they walked past Major Crimes. Their heads swivelled in that direction briefly, there was no activity in the main room but everyone seemed to be crammed in Chief Johnson's office. Will decided not to investigate, he had bigger things to worry about, he could concern himself with the Major Crimes antics at a later date.

"Thanksgiving is going to be great this year. My flight leaves Wednesday afternoon, so I was thinking…" Sharon trailed off as an officer walked past and nodded at both of them. She leant against a wall and smiled up at him. "I was thinking that maybe I could stay over Tuesday night, we could have our own little Thanksgiving. Annie has taught me how to make pumpkin pie, and she took me shopping."

"Oh."

"_Lingerie _shopping," Sharon giggled, but she noticed the smile fading on his face. "What's wrong? Is Tuesday not good? I could come over Monday if you wanted, I don't mind. I'm free for you any time, you know that."

They continued to walk a few paces down the hallway until they reached her office door. Noticing that no one was around, Sharon tilted his chin up so his eyes weren't staring at the floor. "Will, tell me what's wrong."

He took a deep intake of breath, not sure how to explain. But as soon as she had mentioned 'flight', he had remembered that she spent Thanksgivings in New York with her brother and her best friend. Will was a big boy, he didn't cry at such matters anymore, but his chest felt heavy as he explained to her why he was upset.

"I was hoping you'd come over on Thanksgiving."

Sharon nodded, brushing a lock of hair off of her face. She took his hands in hers and rubbed the backs gently. "Will, that's so sweet. I had no idea, thank you for asking me. But…well…it's just I spend it in New York, it's a family tradition, you can understand that, can't you? We can do something before or after, it'll still be the same, we'll still get to spend time together."

Will looked at her, his eyes half closing as the disappointment swept over him. "I don't want a Thanksgiving hook up, Sharon. I was inviting you for dinner, at my house, the whole day. I want you to meet my kids; I want them to meet you and I want to have you be a part of my family. You're my girlfriend; I want you there on Thanksgiving. But family comes first, you're right, I get that. We haven't been dating that long, about three months.… I'll talk to you later, okay?"

He walked to his office, cancelled all his appointments for the day and thought about what he would do for Thanksgiving. He had fought Estelle tooth and nail to have the kids with him for the holiday so they could meet Sharon, get to know her. Maybe he should tell her she could have them. As he sat down on his chair, he thought about his other child, Tommy, and what he would be doing for Thanksgiving. Would he be back at Jean's in Washington, eating and celebrating with the maternal half of the family, or would he be with his girlfriend or new Harvard friends? Will wasn't sure; he doubted he would find out. He knew for definite that he wouldn't see his son this Thanksgiving - Tommy had had his paternal closure; there was no need to return to Los Angeles.

X

"So what are you guys doing for Thanksgiving? Tony?" Sharon asked, taking a sip of her drink. She had taken the team out for lunch as a reward for working so hard: the upcoming holidays made a lot of officers sloppy, or desperate to get home, so although they had had a cut down on shootings, they had dealt with a few animal attacks and some vicious arrests.

Tony looked at her over his burger, frowning. "I'm British."

"I know that."

"So we don't celebrate Thanksgiving."

Sharon nodded, and Jimmy grinned. He was sitting next to her in the booth; his side had healed up nicely from the shooting over a month ago now. He took a swig of his drink. "So what do you celebrate then Tony?"

"Thursday."

The waitress came around to fill up their drinks, and Jimmy gave her a flirty wink. Sharon was happy to see that he was moving on from his crush on her, he had regaled the team with the dates he had had with a couple of nurses. He had more colour in his cheeks, and he had worked very well on the last couple of cases: Sharon saw Lieutenant in his future if he continued his current pace. "Well, ma'am, I'm heading east back to the family. My mom will no doubt feed me up, try and set me up and I'll get into a fight with my brother about whose better."

"Your brother is FBI, right?"

Jimmy chuckled. "Yup."

"Then you're fine, the FBI are idiots, everyone knows that," Simon announced, although he got an evil look off someone by the counter, and Claudia noticed the Federal badge hanging off of his belt. She snorted, pointed it out to Simon who started laughing too. Tony poked his head up above the booth, and shook his head.

"I think that was Chief Johnson's husband."

The booth laughed even harder.

Claudia grabbed the last sachet of ketchup on the table and turned to the Captain. "My brother is picking me up Wednesday night; he's taking me back for the weekend. Means I gotta go smoke free for the whole weekend though, I'm going to be a mess come Monday, there better be no shootings over the weekend otherwise I'm screwed."

"Ah, to be Claudia. All of Central fears her, you know," Simon stated, getting a punch on the arm for his trouble. All of them had their little quirks in dealing with officer force, Claudia had a no nonsense approach that meant she had the lowest reoffence record of the team. Once they were investigated by Claudia, they played calm and cool from there on in.

"What about you Simon?"

"Family, brothers, alcohol and three turkeys. All the cousins are coming over this year, and they eat like horses."

They continued to talk about what they were doing for Thanksgiving, and then what they were doing for Christmas, but Sharon just sat there and thought. She kept thinking all the way through her dinner with Ben and Annie, not paying attention to what they were saying about their lives until the topic of New York came up.

"Maybe we should try and change traditions a little bit," Sharon stated a little loudly to be overheard over Ben's enthusiasm for returning to the snowy city.

"How so?" Ben asked, eating his linguini with wide eyes. He always got this way before they returned to New York at Thanksgiving and Christmas. There were days that Sharon regretted moving back to Los Angeles to work at the LAPD, she knew that New York was home for Ben, and Los Angeles was a temporary place to live because she was there.

"Well…I've been invited to Will's for Thanksgiving."

Annie clattered her cutlery down on her plate, but Ben just sipped his glass of wine and continued to eat, chewing over the idea for a moment until he looked at her. "Will…Pope. You two getting serious?"

She looked at him across the table, trying to put as much sincerity as she could into her face. She thought for a moment about how things were going with her and Will. They had been dating officially for about three months, and she loved spending every moment with him. She would be sitting with her team and her thoughts would turn to him just for a moment, and she was lost. "Yeah, we are. Well I think we are. I think I'm falling in love with him." It was news to her, she had never really been sure about how she really felt about Will until she had seen his face that morning, and realised that hurting him hurt her too.

Annie spat out some of her wine and turned to her friend in amazement. Sharon had sworn off love after Sam, she had never really had anyone that serious. There had been a couple, but never as far as using the 'L' word.

"Really?"

"He's a good guy, he makes me smile and he makes me laugh. He's a good police officer, he's a wonderful father, he loves baseball and he's just so…bumbling when he's around me. And he's great in bed. Really good," Sharon teased, and Annie joined in laughing for a moment until they noticed that Ben wasn't.

They turned towards Ben, both of them expecting him to blow his top. He had always been protective over Sharon, even more so since the Sam drama. Any man who got close to her had to be vetted, and they all knew that her boss wasn't Ben's first choice of partner. When she had first mentioned him he had been angry. But instead of yelling, he just started laughing at the end of the table, joining in with them.

"I see. So what time are we going over for dinner?" Ben asked, smiling at the two women. Sharon stuck her tongue out at him, and he just laughed harder. Since Sam had robbed him of the use of his legs, Ben had been a shadow of the young man she knew, and it was in moments like that she realised how amazing her brother was.

They were at the door, Ben's taxi ready to pick him up, and Sharon asked why he was happy with her and Will, not ready to scream at her. He kissed her on the cheek, and ran his hand down her arm, holding her hand.

"Honey, I've seen lots of people in 'love'. You and Sam, my parents...Annie's constant relationships. They don't work; they're façades of love, the dream of something. You and Will…when you talk about him you get that same look that you do when you talk about ice cream, baseball….solving a case. I just want to meet him first, meet his kids, make sure he's good enough for you. But I can see it in your eyes that you're crazy about him, and I want you to be happy. Night sweetheart."

She decided not to call Will that night, but surprise him in his office tomorrow morning, if it wasn't too late to spend Thanksgiving with him.

X

Will opened the door to his office that morning, expecting paperwork, or maybe an irate Brenda explaining to him the latest issue she was having with FID or traffic. Considering their talk yesterday, Will did not expect to see Sharon Raydor perched on his desk, sitting there trembling like he had been when he had asked her about Thanksgiving. He was glad to see her, happy to see that his question hadn't put her off. He was worried about moving too fast, but he was getting to the point where words may have to be said.

"Captain? Is there something I can help you with?"

Sharon slid off of his desk, walked up to him, and kissed him on the lips. Her hands lingered around the nape of his neck, holding onto him. He dropped his car keys on the table and held her close, enjoying the feeling of her. She smelled sweet, like sugar and sun, Los Angeles on the beach. Her head rested on his shoulder, fixed into position by his hands resting on his waist. They were a tableau of serenity, and Will realised that it didn't matter about Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or indeed any other major holiday. He could just spend the rest of his life holding her like he was now, and he would be happy.

"You okay Sharon?" he whispered to her, moving her hair aside to kiss the top of her ear, the corner of her eye.

"I'm fine. Do you still have the kids for Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah, I do." He had called Estelle the night before, seeing if he could make her Thanksgiving a little happier - he did have them last year after all and he really wanted them for Christmas. But she was going to Florida for Thanksgiving with her husband, so Will had decided to make the most of it with his kids, cook them a really excellent meal, and play games with them all weekend. Brendan had been a little quiet of late; Will wondered if he wasn't missing what was going on with his son when he worked at the office too long.

"How would you like three extra for dinner?"

Will looked at Sharon, her eyes shining up at him. "I already have two kids; I don't think I could take on your team too."

She hit him on the arm. "There are four in my team anyway, but I wasn't talking about them. I know I wasn't too enthusiastic about it yesterday, but Will…I want to spend Thanksgiving with you and your kids, I want to get to know them, love them…I…"

He didn't let her finish, he grabbed her waist and spun her around in a circle before pressing his lips on hers. He buried his hands in her hair and kissed her fully on the mouth. He just had to be close to her, make her feel how happy she was making him. She stroked his face. "There is a condition - Ben and Annie are coming too. They want to make sure that you're a good guy."

Will held onto her, happier than he had been in a long time. "I don't care, you could invite Major Crimes and I would be happy to have you as part of my family for Thanksgiving."

They didn't stop kissing until his secretary reminded him that the Mayor was coming over for a meeting.

X

She was due at Wills for eleven; her, Ben and Annie were going over to help Will with dinner, and meet Brendan and Caitlin for the first time. She had left her brother and best friend watching the parade on television for the first time in years. Annie was unhappy she was in LA for the holidays, her now divorced boyfriend was becoming very clingy, he had wanted to spend the holidays with her and avoid his broken marriage. Ben was very festive, making big meat filled rolls for breakfast and chuckling at the parade. Sharon wasn't sure whether he was acting just for her, or whether he was happy to be spending Thanksgiving in Los Angeles.

Either way Sharon had to get out of the house.

On her usual cold jaunt around New York, she would wind up at her old house, jealously gazing at the family inside. This time she had nowhere to go. Buying a bunch of flowers from one of the only stalls open, she went to the cemetery she knew so well. Most cops who got attached to a case visited the grave on anniversaries, anniversaries of deaths, the day the bastard behind it got caught.

Sharon had never visited on Thanksgiving, but she could see one of the family members had had the same idea.

Eleanor Pace had been the UCLA killer's third victim, a pretty blonde science student whose roommate studied criminology. She had made the case high profile, and it was her sister, Rebecca, who stood at the grave.

"Hey Ms Pace," Sharon said, and the young woman looked up from her thoughts to see Sharon.

"Hey, Captain. It's good to see you. Guess you had the same idea I did. My brother won't come anymore, says it's stupid to come every holiday. But she's all alone; you shouldn't be alone on the holidays."

Sharon stood there with Rebecca for a few minutes, handing her a tissue when she needed it. After a while, Rebecca left her sisters grave, and Sharon laid a flower on the ground below Eleanor's stone, and on the graves of the other eight girls. As she left the cemetery gates, her phone started to ring, and looking at the time she realised it was nearly ten.

"Hello?"

_"Hey…it's me. Can you come down to the field?"_

She took a moment to decide, she would need to go home to change soon. "Yeah, I can."

She took a taxi over to the abandoned baseball field on a corner of Los Angeles; it was only kept open by a dedicated few who used the place to blow off steam, namely police officers. As she paid the driver, Sharon wondered if Andy might be drinking again, he sounded awful on the phone. He had been sober for twelve years, but there was always a way to relapse.

As she entered the field, she saw Flynn, looking haggard, carrying a baseball bat and a lone ball. There was no one around but her and him.

"Hey Flynn. Everything okay?" She didn't smell alcohol, and his hands were steady.

"Yeah I'm good. You been to the cemetery?" There were still a few flowers in her possession.

"I went to see the girls, met Eleanor Pace's sister. Why did you call?" She didn't have time for pleasantries, but nothing with Flynn was pleasant these days anyway.

Flynn tossed her the bat, and she caught it. He went over to the centre and started throwing and catching the ball. "Provenza and Lauren are having a loved up Thanksgiving; everyone else is going home for the holidays. Just me on my own. I thought you usually go to New York for the holidays."

He tossed her the ball; she gave it a light hit. He found it, started throwing it to himself again. She tapped the bat against her boots, remembering softball games from years ago. "I do, this year me and my brother are going to my boyfriends for Thanksgiving."

Flynn look surprised at her admission of seeing someone, so she gave it a stronger hit the next time he threw it to her. They continued on for a few moments until Sharon caught the next ball he threw to her.

"Why did you call me Flynn? Honestly."

Sighing to himself, he sat on the ground, his knees around his chin. Flynn looked at her, smiling. To anyone else, it would have seemed pleasant, but Sharon recognised the predatory smile. "I just wanted to talk. Talk about how much you changed. Since you went to FID…"

"I'm not having this conversation again."

She started to walk away, but Flynn jogged after her and caught her hand. He spun her around. "You know, we've never really had this conversation, just fragments. I get seconded to Priority Homicide; you go off to FID. No one used to get you apart from me; everyone thought you had a stick up your ass. But I saw you when we found each body, knew that look. Now…the looks gone."

"The look is still there Andy; it's just not civilian killers I'm hunting any more. We're on the same side Flynn."

He let her go, letting her hand go back to her. He looked at her, then got something out of his pocket, a toothpick, something that reminded her of the bitter Andy that had tried to take down Chief Johnson four years ago. "You know what Captain, I try and reconcile the image of the woman I spent time with on this field ten years ago, and I can't. It's like you've gone dead inside."

"Flynn…fuck you."

Using her right arm she pitched the ball right across the diamond, and listened to Flynn curse as she walked back to the road to walk home. She had had enough of his crap, enough of his psychological bullying as he tried to instil in her a sense of self hatred. But there was something else that made her worried, Flynn had called her here and not to the office. Adding to that the toothpick, a craving tool he had used for many years and Sharon was concerned about what Andy and Major Crimes were up to.

X

Andy Flynn watched Sharon walk away, then dug out his mobile phone from his pocket. He went to his address book and found Provenza. He took a little while to pick up, probably stuck in some lewd embrace with Lauren. But eventually he answered.

_"What do you want Flynn?"_

"You know I wondered why Raydor said the other day to Marcus that she was staying in LA this year?"

_"Flynn…"_

"She's got a boyfriend. I haven't got a name, but her brother is coming over…must be serious. If she's distracted with him, maybe we can start pulling a little at the threads. I also pushed a few of her buttons - she's getting really upset these days."

_"Excellent, good work Flynn. You want to come over for some turkey?"_

Flynn thought for a moment, but shook his head. "It's okay, I'm gonna go back home to get set up for the game later. See you Monday."

He hung up, and turned to the baseball in his hand. He caught it once, twice, and turned his head to where Sharon Raydor had walked away from him. He would never admit it, but he was jealous of her. He had no one to turn to on Thanksgiving, and despite being loathed by most of the LAPD, she had a place to go. She always had a place to go. He had a soft drink, a baseball and old case files.

X

Will opened the door at ten fifty eight to see Sharon on his doorstep, wearing a very pretty blue dress. Behind her was Ben, wearing a suit with a pumpkin pie on his lap, and Annie who was admiring the plants in his front garden.

"Hey!"

"Hey!" Sharon stepped into the house and kissed him on the lips, before introducing Ben and Annie. The two men shook hands, trying to outdo each other in the strength stakes, and Will kissed Annie on the cheek in welcome. He opened the door wide enough for Ben and his wheelchair to get in, and Will called for his kids to come down and meet their guests.

Caitlin and Brendan walked down the stairs nervously. Ben had gone in the sitting room to have a look at the furnishings, while Annie had asked to go to the kitchen, her traditional Thanksgiving role. In reality, they both wanted to give Sharon a chance to meet her boyfriend's kids on her own for the first time. Brendan looked at Sharon defiantly, while Caitlin hung onto her father's leg.

"Caitlin, Brendan, this is Sharon. Sharon, this is Brendan, and this is Caitlin."

She didn't have a great deal of experience with children, apart from helping with Otto's grandchildren, and she had known them since they were babies. She didn't lean down; she stood up straight and looked to them both, waving a hand at them.

"Hey guys. I'm Sharon."

"You're Dad's new girlfriend," Brendan muttered, Caitlin didn't say anything.

Sharon's heart was beating fast, she wanted his kids to like her, not loathe her. "I am, I'm also a cop like your Daddy."

"You catch bad guys?"

Sharon shook her head, how to explain FID to a ten year old? "I catch police officers who hide behind their badges to hurt other people."

Brendan nodded, and looked at his Daddy. "You're the FID lady that Dad's always talking about, the one that everyone doesn't like."

Sharon looked at Will who coughed. She smirked at him before nodding to Brendan, that was probably the easiest way to explain what she did at the LAPD. "Yup, that's me."

He moved from his father and took Sharon's hand. "It's okay, nobody at school likes me either. Come on, I'll show you the TV."

Sharon was led to the sitting room by Brendan who told her all about the TV and the channels they could get, and she introduced him to Ben, who showed him his wheelchair. Will picked up Caitlin, who buried her face in her father's neck. She had always been nervous around new people, and Will had not expected anything else from her meeting Sharon for the first time.

"Caitlin, honey, is Brendan getting on alright at school?"

She shook her head, and sucked the tip of her thumb slightly. "The other kids pick on him, they don't like him much. Sometimes he comes back from school and he's crying."

"I see. Well come on, say hello to Sharon. Why don't you tell her about Hannah and Lilly sweetie?"

He checked on Annie in the kitchen and got to know her briefly as she helped him with dinner. After she had shooed him out of his own kitchen, he went into the sitting room to see how things were going on in there. There were the highlights of the parade on the television, and Ben was explaining to Brendan about New York and telling him little stories about the city. Caitlin was on the sofa next to Sharon, showing her the latest _Hannah Montana_ magazine. Will joined the two women on the sofa and planted Caitlin on his lap. She kissed his nose and continued to talk about the magazine to Sharon, who asked questions and smiled in all the right places.

Annie joined them later on, and introductions were made. By the time dinner was ready, Caitlin was on one side of Sharon on her father's lap, Brendan was on the other side playing cards with Ben and Annie was dishing out dinner.

Over the top of Caitlin's head, Sharon and Will exchanged a light kiss, smiling at the happy family they made.

X

They were just sitting down to dinner when there was a knock on the front door. Estelle had called the kids to wish them a happy Thanksgiving earlier that morning, so it couldn't be her. The only likely suspect would be Brenda, a murder had suddenly come up and she needed guidance or an exhumation or something. Will groaned as he got up from the table, however, opening the door he was met by his eldest son.

"Tommy! What are…what are you doing here?" Will asked, staring at his son in disbelief.

Tommy ran a hand through his hair, longer than it had been when he had left in September. He hugged his father, before dropping a bag down onto the doorstep. "I didn't fancy going back to Washington; I wanted to see you guys. Thanksgiving is being thankful, I've never been thankful in LA so… here I am."

Sharon came out of the dining room to see who their guest was. She grinned when she saw Tommy, and hugged him. He hugged her back, making eyebrow gestures at his father. When Sharon pulled back, Tommy turned to both of them.

"So you two are…? That's cool, you're a really good gal, and my Dad needs a good gal in his life."

Will shoved his sons head in jest, and Tommy grinned. Caitlin came out of the dining room and gave her older brother a tentative hug, Brendan remained seated.

"I'll get you a plate," Will announced, smiling like a madman.

Tommy sat on the empty seat next to his younger brother, who looked nervously up at him. He fished something out of his pocket, and put a little toy transformer in the table setting in front of Brendan, and smiled.

"I'm sorry Brendan, I really am."

Will watched the little exchange, and felt happy - his son was finally growing up and bonding with his younger brother after too many summers picking on him. From the head of the table, Will observed with happiness as his three children were seated at Thanksgiving for the first time, and Sharon and her family were seated across from them. Sharon was sitting next to him, and he squeezed her leg as they said grace before eating.

X

"Well it was great to meet you Will, and you guys too," Ben announced, smiling at the kids. He wheeled himself to the front door, it was getting late, and he wanted to get home and leave his sister in the capable hands of Will. "I take it you'll be staying here sweetheart?"

Sharon nodded and hugged her brother before kissing Annie on the cheek. She then slid her arm around Will's waist, and said goodbye to her brother. They left with a wink and a smile, and Sharon watched them as they drove off, leaving her with Will beside her. They moved into the sitting room, three kids and two adults.

They stayed up a little later than they usually would, and they watched old films. Tommy told his father and the others about his time at Harvard, telling only funny stories and no drunken debacles. Brendan was sitting by his side, and they hugged when no one was looking, or at least when they thought no one was looking. Sharon watched the young man who seemed so much calmer than he had done when she had first met him. There was sadness in his face that had replaced the cockiness, but his eyes seemed weary. She saw that Will had seen it too, and she held onto him tighter.

Will put Caitlin to bed first, while Sharon and his two sons played card games on the carpet. It then came for Brendan to go to bed, and Will carried his sleepy son up the stairs. Sharon followed them up, and looked at the books on his shelves, smiling at the variety of the titles. She could hear Will putting his son to bed, and she peered in the doorframe to watch him. She bit her lip in pleasure as she watched the man she adored tuck his son under the covers, ruffling his hair and kissing his forehead.

"How are things at school son? Caitlin says that the other kids have been picking on you."

Brendan sat up a little in his bed and nodded his head, his features sad. "I tell the teachers when the other kids do bad things, when they pick on the other kids. They say I'm a grass, and they pick on me."

"Son…" Will clutched his son on the bed, holding his head against his chest. Brendan started crying a little, and Sharon's heart broke as she watched him cry.

"There was a girl in my class, and they picked on her because her hair was really curly. I told the teacher they were picking on her, and the teacher gave them detention. Now no one likes me."

Sharon's hand gripped the doorframe, turning her knuckles white. She wanted to reach out and hug the young boy, but she wasn't part of the family, not yet. She just watched as Will used the tie he was wearing to dry his son's tears, and Brendan giggled a little in his father's arms.

"You know, that girl will grow up to be a happy lady, and one day she is going to tell her kids about you, that little boy who stood up for her when no one else would. I am so proud of you Brendan, you're a school super hero, you know that?" Brendan hugged his father. "Just tell me if the other kids are nasty to you, because I'm a station super hero, and I'm more than prepared to sort them out."

"I love you Dad."

"I love you too Brendan."

Will pulled the dinosaur covers up around Brendan's chin, and switched the main light off, leaving the night light on in the corner. Smiling at his son and wishing him goodnight, he pulled the door to and met Sharon on the landing.

She could see Will was shaking a little, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed his mouth gently, letting the feeling wash over both of them. She was thrumming and he was shaking, and Will wrapped his arms tighter around her, enclosing her in a cocoon of adoration. Sharon kissed his lips, his nose, the line of his jaw before burying her head in the crook of his neck.

"I love you."

Will's hands stopped on her back, and he looked down at her, her eyes still against her face. "I love you Will; I honestly, truly, love you." Sharon opened her eyes and smiled at him, the pads of her fingers tracing his jaw. She continued to smile at him until it faltered, Wills lips remaining silent.

"You know what, I'm going to go get a drink," Sharon announced, pulling away from Will and going down the stairs, leaving Will on the landing. She poured herself a glass of water downstairs, and as the glass overflowed, she began to cry.

X

Will was following her when he caught Tommy on the stairs, and his son looked like he wanted to talk. "You heading to bed son?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty exhausted from the travelling. It's been a hard semester so far."

He smiled at his son, and squeezed his shoulder, his thoughts pulled in two directions. "Well it'll be worth it when you end up a doctor, son. I'm proud of you, and I'm so happy you came here for Thanksgiving."

Tommy hugged his father and moved up the stairs, before turning around to face him. He had his hands buried in his pockets, like he was unsure of something. "Dad, I was kind of eavesdropping on you two. I'm glad you guys got together, she's a great person and she obviously loves you, god knows why. But you say that you're proud of me, well I'm proud of you. You didn't lie to her. I lie to girls, and you've lied, but not this time. To be honest, that says love more than those three words do."

Tommy gave his father a nod as he continued his walk up the stairs to the spare bedroom. Will thought on his son's words for a moment before he went looking for Sharon. He found her on the patio, looking out onto the garden. They could see some fireworks going off; hear the noise of the neighbours winding down. He tried to hold her, but she slipped out of his grasp, not wanting to touch him, and he could understand why.

"Do you know how hard that was for me Will? I haven't loved anyone since Sam, let alone tell them. Jeez, all I wanted was for you to say it back, for you to love me back."

Sharon screwed her eyes up, and Will moved forward to wrap his arms around her. He put the glass of water down and held her tight, keeping the cold at bay.

"You want me to say it?"

"Yes."

"Even if I don't mean it?"

Sharon looked up at him, the fallen tears making her face blotchy. She looked like her heart was breaking in several directions, and Will hated that he was responsible for it. "Yes."

"No." She tried to move from him, but he kept his grip tight on her arms, making her look into his eyes. "I want to say it and mean it, damn it. I don't want to say it just because you love me and I don't quite just yet. I am so close to being completely, madly in love with you. But I'm not quite over that line."

Sharon looked at him, fury overtaking her. "Just say it Will, I don't care if you mean it or not." But as he looked at her, he realised she did, and she realised too. He held her tighter.

"I've told a lot of women I loved them when I didn't, including Brenda Leigh Johnson. Just give me a little time Sharon, a little time and you'll get those words, and you'll get my heart. Well, what you haven't claimed already, anyway."

They could hear some music from next door, and Will offered Sharon his hand. She took it, and he held her, swaying in time to the music. She closed her eyes against his chest, and he kissed the top of her head, holding her tightly against him as they continued to dance.

"I remember the first time we danced together. You were beautiful, an incredible woman. But I didn't know then how incredible you are. You own me, Sharon; every little bit is yours to claim."

"…and you're saying that's not love."

"Not yet. But I'll tell you something, I am so happy that you love me, and that you can tell me." He picked her up in his arms and hugged her tight. She threw his arms around his neck, and he wiped her tears with his tie. They continued to dance long after the music had stopped, holding each other. They walked up the stairs in the early hours of the morning, and Will watched Sharon slumber, the woman he adored and who loved him, despite his most obvious flaws.


	10. Chapter 10

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings_

**Chapter Ten**

_Lies are the best part of life._

_The little white lies we tell ourselves during the day: one more biscuit can't hurt, these heels look so good, he hits me because he loves me. The little white lies we tell to other people: that dress really looks good on you; I did hand in that report, honestly; he's not cheating on you honey. The big lies we keep from other people, the ones we care about. _

_I'm just really busy at work; we'll spend some time together soon. _

_I didn't shoot him, I swear! He was dead when I got here!_

_I love you. _

_She tells little white lies to herself all day long. It's for the greater good, the work that she does. Will will love her, he just needs time. Nobody will ever find out, the file is locked away. She tells them to Will, to Claudia to everyone. She tells Will it's okay when he holds onto her in bed, as she cries herself to sleep. She tells Claudia and Simon that the LAPD will one day realise that what they're doing is okay, that one day they'll be respected. She lies to Ben, telling him everything is fine, but the scars on her back glow poker white and she will sit there, unable to breathe. _

_Then there are the big lies. The ones only a handful know. Not Will. Not Wendell…those that dirty the blood she is so afraid of. _

_Sam._

_Ben._

_Her father. _

_She read a self help book once about controlling fear, desperate to control her loathing of blood, the trembling in her legs every time she came close to it. You need to face your fear slowly, unwrap each layer until you are comfortable with it and then _you _control _it_. Ben once faced his fear, he went to the prison and sat across from the man that had made his life hell, wrecked everything that a normal child should have had. Sharon remembers seeing him coming out, wheeling the chair that was his own prison. She could almost see the garden soaked in blood that was in his eyes. _

_She had thought about telling Will, telling him every dirty secret she had. Some were worse than others. Her father was tragic, Ben was simplistic, Sam would ruin her. Would Will look at her the same, seeing a young woman with too much blood on her hands? Would he comfort her, tell her everything was going to be okay and make love to her? But it wouldn't be that simple, she could see the fringes of her world coming down. She could see Flynn and Major Crimes circling like a pack of vultures waiting for her chest to be exposed, and then swoop down to rip open her carcass. _

_She can barely sleep, barely eat as she thinks about Major Crimes and their tangled web, unravelling her carefully structured façades and lies. Her house of cards is going to come tumbling down; right on her head and not even Will could protect her, even if he wanted to. _

_As she lays there, his body resting against hers, she doesn't know if he would. _

X

He felt like a monster, and it killed him. He felt hollow inside, saw how she cried herself to sleep and he wanted to kill himself. He couldn't do anything without lying, and for once in his life he didn't want to lie to a woman. Didn't want to tell her how much he loved her, wanted to feel it in every cell. But it was killing him watching her without his love. Surely that said something about his feelings?

Will looked over to her; she had finally slipped off to sleep around three am. It was now six, the sun would be rising soon and the alarm would go off to get the kids up for school and Sharon to her own house so she would be ready for work. He moved away from her and put on his dressing gown and left his bedroom and her, not wanting to watch her wake up and see her feel the tracks the tears made on her skin.

Downstairs he put on a pair of trainers and found the basketball his son practiced with. Brendan wanted to play for the Lakers when he grew up; Will had taken him to a few games when they had got free seats. He shot a couple and sunk a couple, needing something to work off his steam. It wasn't just that they weren't having sex, they hadn't since Thanksgiving, it was the crying when he wasn't looking, the distance of her, and he knew he was to blame for it. When Brenda had come back, he had been sore to see her fall for Fritz and then marry him, but he at least knew that she didn't love him back. The endless uncertainty was killing her, unknown forces dragging her away from him every day.

His shot missed and rebounded off of the board. He went to retrieve it, and he turned around to see Sharon holding the ball. She was wearing her dressing gown, her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail and she was bare foot.

"You'll catch a cold out here."

"It's not that cold."

Will took each step to her slowly and plucked the ball from her fingers, dropping it to the floor beside them, the ball rolling away. "We should get back inside, maybe crank up the heating." He moved away from her, barely looking at her. The problem was his, she deserved better than he and his baggage. He had loved Jean, had made a son with her but had cheated on her every chance he got. Estelle was the result of too many affairs, and although she had cheated on him if Brenda had kissed him late in the office he would have made love to her on her desk. His whole romantic life was a pack of lies, and in trying to make Sharon exempt from that would ruin them anyway.

"If you made love to me, would you say you loved me? If you fucked me would I be able to see the man that I was in love with? Am still in love with? Will…I need you."

He turned on his heel and rushed back to her, holding her in his arms. She started crying, and Will held her tighter, holding onto her. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I just…I don't love you." Her tears stilled and her head tilted to kiss his lips.

"Lie to me."

"You're the most amazing woman I've ever known, and I've never felt anything like what I'm feeling for you from any other woman."

She snorted. "That's some lie."

They went in together, but didn't go back upstairs. Sharon cuddled him on the sofa, playing with the skin on his bare chest, occasionally pinching. He groaned when she did, but he soon wised up and kissed her harder when she hurt him. "Tell me the truth Will, will you ever love me?"

"Yes. I can feel it in every bone in my body that I will. I just need some time. I need to have that moment when I know that I'd die for you."

And that was all she needed to hear as she fell asleep against his chest.

X

"My money is on Jimmy; jeez that kid looks like he could use some action."

"You thinking cougar?"

Flynn smiled and chewed on the end of his toothpick. "I think that she's so desperate to get laid, that she'll go for anyone. Even you."

Provenza nodded and scowled when he realised what Flynn had said, before writing the name on the little whiteboard they had propped up on Gabriel's desk. It had been two weeks since Thanksgiving, and Flynn and Provenza had been working tirelessly trying to think who Raydor's boyfriend could be. Flynn's idea was that if they knew who she was dating, they could turn him or feed him false information to drive Raydor a little off the rails and out of their lives. They had to be secret about it; they were keeping it from the Chief so she had plausible deniability.

"Morning Gentlemen."

Flynn looked up and slammed the board down, obscuring it from view. They had already had the conversation about who they would tell. Taylor had been told briefly what was going on, he wasn't happy about it but he wouldn't tell anyone higher up. Maybe they could have told Pope a few months ago, but he seemed to be pro justice and pro Raydor of late, so they didn't think it was safe.

"Hey Chief. You okay?"

He looked tired, worried, overall like crap. "Yeah, I'm fine thank you Flynn. What you working on?"

Flynn coughed and tried to act nonchalant. "Nothing much, just a personal project."

They probably would have gotten away with it, however at that moment Gabriel came rushing in announcing: "Her file is not in records, I don't know where it is."

"Whose file gentlemen?" Pope asked, putting his hands on his hips and turning towards Gabriel who would be the first one to break, as usual. Provenza rested a hand on the young man's shoulder, squeezing tightly as he stood up to face the Assistant Chief. They had to act very carefully here; otherwise they could be up in front of a very vicious Internal Affairs.

"Captain Raydor's, Chief. We want to try and get to know her better, see if any common ground can be made. Did you know she's seeing someone?"

Flynn rolled his eyes; Provenza was as subtle as a brick through a window. Pope on the other hand was blank, not giving anything away. "No I did not. And I would suggest gentlemen that if you want to get to know Sharon Raydor better, I suggest you _ask _her. If I hear of anyone causing any professional and personal damage to Captain Raydor, I'll be straight in here and you'll be straight up in front of Internal Affairs. We clear?"

"Yes sir. Marcus! How are you?"

Flynn looked away from Pope to see Marcus Simms enter the officers of Major Crimes. He was the oldest cop on the force, had been working just a few years more than Provenza. He was retiring in the New Year; he only had a few weeks left on the force. Marcus had run with the Chief when he had been on the beat, and was well respected by everyone, he had no problems. However, despite his pet liking for Captain Raydor, his friends in the force had not followed his example.

"I'm fine thank you Provenza, Flynn. Hello Chief Pope, lovely day." Marcus was now on the desk at Robbery/Homicide, his hip having given out a few years ago. He sat on the chair that Flynn vacated for him, and propped up the board they had been looking at.

"Sharon Raydor eh? She's a little easy on the eye," Marcus chuckled, and Pope raised his eyebrows at Flynn and Provenza. They shrugged it off as best they could, but his gaze still burned on their backs.

"I remember when Mickey came here for the first time, carrying this little bundle in his arms. She was a sweet little thing, all brown hair and these big eyes. So sweet."

Flynn didn't miss the smile that Pope had, but something was jarring with him. "What was Ben like as a kid? Did they get on at all?" He'd only met Ben a few times when he had been Sharon's partner in both senses of the word; he was a calm and strong man. Flynn had wondered if there had been problems between the two, then maybe he could convince Ben to return to New York with his sister. She did prefer it to Los Angeles after all; Flynn had no idea why she even stayed.

"Ben?"

"Her older brother."

Marcus coughed, wheezing slightly. The years had not been kind to him. "Mickey Raydor only had one child to my knowledge, and that was Sharon. He only had one kid down here in LA, and if this Ben is older than her, Mickey didn't have him when he went back to New York."

Flynn grinned as Provenza helped Marcus up onto his feet and Gabriel took him back to the Robbery/Homicide offices. He booted up his computer and logged onto the LAPD searches, typing _Ben Raydor_. If he was registered to vote or drive, he should come up. He'd become better with the computer since he had set up a Facebook account to annoy Tao with, but the detective had moved onto Twitter and that confused Flynn even more.

"Here we go, Ben Raydor, he's registered to vote in Los Angeles. Looking at the files he changed his name right here. His original surname is Leonard; he changed it just as Raydor joined the force."

Flynn looked up to see what Pope had to say, but he was already gone. Provenza was sniggering to himself, they had just found out a huge chunk of information: Raydor's brother was not her biological sibling. As Andy chewed on his toothpick, he had a thought and turned to Provenza.

"Do you think Pope and Raydor could be doing the dirty?"

"Don't be stupid Flynn; everyone knows he still has a thing for the Chief."

He conceded, and they returned to their white board.

X

"Captain Raydor, can I have a word?" Will asked, reaching down for her arm and herding her through the corridors down to his office. Normally his grip would be tight, but Sharon noticed that it was light, loving. Although they had made up a little this morning, she was still tired and she didn't need whatever was going on or whatever Brenda had complained about now in her life.

"Everything okay Will?" Sharon asked when he closed the door, sitting down on one of the chairs opposite his desk. She kicked off her heels and closed her eyes, wanting to have a hot shower and crawl back into bed.

"I just thought you should know that Flynn and Provenza are up to no good. They're trying to figure out who you're dating." Will moved around the back of her and pressed his hands to her shoulder blades, massaging her skin. She groaned under his touch, his hands felt so good on her.

"They got any serious ideas?"

She felt her hair being pulled down, and Will's mouth moving over her neck. In that moment, with him tending to her and humming little songs against her skin, she could forget the last two weeks of hell. "Jimmy was the top contender. I don't think I was considered. Must be too old."

"Or too annoying. Hey, you deserved it. Come here." Sharon said after Will had made a face. She had missed kissing him, missed just the pure joy of being with him instead of all the relationship crap that had been dumped on their door.

He knelt by her on the chair and kissed her forehead. "You are so beautiful."

Sharon hugged him, enjoying the warmth of his arms as he wrapped himself around her. "You know, when Ben gets back from New York he'll have to come over and have dinner. Brendan wants to play Transformers with him."

She giggled and snuggled into his chest. She still loved him, even if he was an idiot. But he was her idiot. "I love you." He held her tighter, and took the palm of her hand and pressed it against his chest, where his heart was. She could hear it racing, and she got lost in the sound of his heartbeat, it beating for her.

X

They were on the roof of Parker Centre, his jacket around her shoulders and they were overlooking the city. The sun was going down, and they had five minutes to themselves just to talk. However, work called them back and Will and Sharon headed inside. A few moments later, and Simon came out onto the roof, followed by Claudia. She shook a cigarette out of her packet and lit it up, taking a long drag. Simon coughed, she hit him on the shoulder and they stood watching night descend onto the city of sun.

"What are you doing for Christmas this year Claudia?" Simon asked, fiddling with the badge on his trousers. His best friend took a deep puff of the cigarette and grinned.

"A whole week with my family, same as Thanksgiving. Except I found out the other week that my Daddy has taken up smoking again, so I can puff, puff away while the jingle bells rock."

Simon put his hands on the cold brick of the roof and closed his eyes. He could smell the smoke from Claudia's cigarette, feel the cold chill get into the crevices of his jacket, could hear sirens blare out all across the city. And somewhere, there was a scream, he could just hear it.

"You're going home too aren't you?"

"No," Simon said with the barest whisper. Claudia stubbed out her cigarette and turned to her friend, confused.

"What happened Simon?"

She put an arm around his shoulders, and he clung onto her. "My brothers told my parents before I came that I was gay. I was waiting for the right time, like when I got a promotion or something - when I made Lieutenant Dad was just getting out of surgery. Anyway. They didn't want me there."

"But you joined the police _because _of your brothers. So they wouldn't see you as some damn stereotype."

Simon snorted and tried to hold back tears. "I told them that, and my Dad laughed. My own Dad… god I'm being such a child, teenagers come out to their parents and its fine, but apparently not thirty year old police detectives."

Claudia hung onto him, and he clung back as he started to cry. "You've got me Simon. You've got Tony, and Jimmy and the Captain. We're a family, if they can't accept you for being a damn fine cop who happens to want to jump Flynn's bones, then they're not worth it."

When they went back to the office, there was no sign of tears in Simon's eyes, but Claudia threw her pack of cigarettes in the bin.

X

Dinner had been simple, but even the kids must have noticed that Will and Sharon were back on speaking terms, and that they were more comfortable around each other at the table. They watched some television after dinner, Sharon braiding Caitlin's' hair on the floor as Brendan sat in his father's lap. He had been hit by one of the other kids the day before, but he was smiling as he had hit the kid back. Sharon had never seen Will so proud.

"Dad, can I go play with my dolls?"

"Sure you can honey."

Brendan and Caitlin soon went up to their rooms, and that left Will and Sharon alone. She uncrossed her legs and went to sit in his lap, squirming on his skin much to his chagrin. They watched some DIY show that neither of them was really interested in, Will was more focussed with tasting every inch of Sharon's skin that was visible to the naked eye.

"Have you got any ice cream?" Sharon asked, and Will grinned, remembering their walks along the beach.

"There's some in the freezer. Ben and Jerry's okay?"

"Won't have any less."

Will turned around on the sofa to watch Sharon rootle around in his freezer. He could see her panties as her jeans moved down, and as he whistled, she pulled them up, giving him a nasty look. She was beautiful, graceful, and had this adorableness that he found incredible. With her he could be himself, no need to be anything more or less.

"You've only got Cherry Garcia."

"Your point?" Will was smirking. Sharon walked over to him and tapped him on the nose with her spoon. He loved it when she was playful.

"I don't like Cherry Garcia. I'm in the mood for Phish Food."

"Any reason why?"

She stalled for a moment, and then rested her hands around his neck. "Promise me you won't laugh?"

"No."

She hit him on the shoulder and he picked her up, leaving them both on the sofa giggling. He moved her hair away from her face and kissed her; and she started to explain. "I love Ben and Jerry's, always have done. I…when I'm in different moods, I like different ice cream. If I've had a good day at work, I like Cookie Dough. If Brenda has been particularly annoying, I'll eat a whole ton of Chocolate Fudge Brownie."

Will giggled and kissed her on the nose. "You are the cutest thing I have ever seen. There is some Cookie Dough in the freezer down in the garage, unless Tommy ate that."

Sharon kissed him and moved away, going towards the garage in search of her ice cream. "Hey, Sharon, what is Phish Food then?"

He saw her blush as she turned back to him. "Phish Food is a Will Pope day."

Will started to chuckle and laid down on the sofa, Sharon occupying his thoughts. "God I love you."

Sharon stopped at the door and turned around to see him. "What did you just say?"

Will moved from the sofa and went over to see Sharon, grinning as he went. He took the keys from her hand and placed them down on the kitchen table. He took her hands within hers, and kissed her lips as soft as he could. He whispered in her ear all the things that had been building since he had first laid eyes on her walking down those stairs in that black dress, since he had seen her for what she truly was instead of the face she tried to hide behind.

"I love you, Sharon Raydor. I love the way your hair curls in the morning when you've just dried it. I love the way you stand up to everyone in the LAPD, and how big your heart is despite of it. I love that you love me and you've stayed with me despite me not knowing how I feel. I love how you love my kids, I love how you smile, laugh and cry. I love you in bed with me; I love you walking with me. I don't think I've ever loved anyone as much as you, apart from the three devils who love you just as much as I do."

"You're an ass."

He chuckled, holding her against him. Will guessed he deserved that, but he could see her smile shine brightly above it all. Her mouth moved up his jumper until it found his lips and started kissing him. "I love you, Will Pope. You're an idiot, and you drive like an old man and you have no decent ice cream in your house but, damn you, I love you more than anything."

X

They waited until the kids had been put to bed and retired themselves. Turning on the soft lamps they kissed each other, revelling in their mutual love. They fell onto the bed, laughing softly.

"I'm horny as hell. Come here, baby."

Will had to stifle his laughter at Sharon until she started poking him in the side, kissing his mouth until her jaw hurt. His hands pulled off her shirt, and brought her on top of him. As they kissed, Sharon slipped a leg between his, resting on his growing length. His hands roamed her back and went under her shirt, palming her hot skin.

"I love you," She announced, straddling his waist as she unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it off, dropping it shyly on the end of the bed. It was different this time, making love while actually being in love. She palmed her breasts, teasing her own nipples before dropping each strap down her shoulders. Will watched her wide eyed as she reached behind to unbuckle her bra and push the cups away from her, dropping them down onto his lap.

"I love you too."

He spun her over so the crisp sheets moved against her bare skin. He ran his own fingers across her breasts, pinching a nipple lightly before taking it into his mouth. Her skin thrummed against his lips, and he smiled as he returned his lips to hers. They continued to kiss for a moment until Will moved away, tugging his own shirt over his head.

The cold December weather drove them under the warm duvet half naked. They snuggled, there was no need to rush things. Sharon leant her head on Will's shoulder, his arms wrapped around hers. They both teased her breasts, running hands over skin together, as one. She slid away from him so he could unbutton his trousers and leave them and his underwear on the floor. He kept his socks on.

"Sexy Will. Very sexy."

"Come here and I'll show you sexy."

They hushed their laughter for the children's sake, and Will moved over to Sharon. He ran his foot up her fully covered leg, and she giggled into his chest. His cold hands moved over her taut nipples and down the waistband of her jeans, palming her sex. She groaned into his neck as his cold fingers trailed over her folds, slipping inside her. She felt the pace building up inside her as his fingers teased her and steadily grew warm.

They both moved down between her legs to unbutton her jeans and pull down her panties. She kicked them to the end of the bed and moved on top of Will, his hands moving up her legs and over her backside, squeezing the cheeks. Their hands crawled over each other, and like Will always tended to do, he turned Sharon on her front and caressed the scars that her former lover had given to her. This time, as he kissed each scar his hand found its way under her body to stroke her clit. As his kissing turned to long strokes of his tongue, his fingers replicated the motion, and Sharon came silently into the pillows.

Will kissed her as he parted her legs, spinning her over. He entered her slowly, moving her knee up around his elbow. His mouth caressed her skin as he moved inside her, and Will whispered everything he loved about her, everything that he would grow to love about her. His reaction to her touch built up, and he came fiercely, seeing colours and the sound of her own release in his ear, his love being whispered under the crumpled sheets, finally joining hers.

X

They were downstairs, Will had put on the heating and Sharon had decided to make them hot chocolate. She was wearing his shirt and long socks; he was wearing a robe, boxer shorts and the socks he had been wearing in bed. She joined him on the sofa with two steaming cups, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"You know I don't think I've ever been as happy as I am with you now."

"Me neither." She sighed against his chest, and Will ran his hand up her arm. "There's just something, a little thing, that's been bothering me all day."

Sharon turned around and kissed his jaw. "Go ahead Will. What's up?"

Will coughed, and rested his own cup down on the coffee table. Sharon followed suit, a little worried about what he was going to say. His arms went around her, and she looked up at him. "Will?"

"You know I said earlier that Flynn and Provenza were investigating you, seeing who you were dating?"

"Yeah, you mentioned it."

"Well Marcus came in pretty soon after, and said that you didn't have a brother. That Ben wasn't your brother."

Sharon chuckled, resting her hand on Will's arm. "I love Marcus to bits, but he does get a little confused. He's too close to retirement, and this job does make you go a little crazy. Ben is my brother, I promise you that Will."

He was still stiffening against her, and she realised there was more to what he had to say. Her hands started to tremble; she feared what would come next. "Flynn checked up, Ben changed his name to Raydor just before you joined the force. Whenever you talk about you and your father in LA, you never mention Ben." Sharon turned around to face him. "You only seem to mention Ben when you moved back to LA with Sam."

"You were spying on me? Investigating me?"

"Flynn and Provenza were…"

Sharon hit him in the chest and pushed away from him, looking down at him with disgust. "And you didn't stop them, didn't tell them no, did you? You wanted to hear what they had to say, didn't you?"

Will sighed, looking up at her. This wasn't how he had wanted things to go; he had expected an answer, not this vicious change in character. "Yeah, I guess I did. There are some parts of your past that don't quite fit with me Sharon…"

"What am I, a jigsaw puzzle? My past is my business; the stuff I've shared with you is more than I've done with a lot of other people, Will. My past is complicated, there's a lot of dark stuff in there that I'm not comfortable telling you." Sharon was on the verge of tears.

"Yet? Or never."

As soon as the words came out of his mouth he regretted what he had said. Sharon looked heartbroken and walked away from him, running up the stairs. Will followed her, moving as quickly as he could. When he got into his bedroom he saw she was pulling on her jeans and taking off his shirt.

"Sharon, what are you doing?"

"Leaving." She pulled on her shirt and tied her hair back with a hair band from her bag. He reached for her wrist as she went to leave his room, and pulled her into his arms. He needed to make things right.

"Sharon, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried; I know that, I really do know that. Listen, how about we forget my stupid question and we go back downstairs, huh? Drink the rest of those hot chocolates and maybe watch some stupid film on the TV?"

She ripped his hand away from her, and left it hanging. There was fury in her eyes, and she was bristling with bitterness. "It's called trust Will. First I have to wait two fucking weeks for you to tell me that you love me, and now you pull this stunt. What do you want to know? That Ben isn't my real brother? Because he's not, he's not biologically. But to me and him we are siblings, he and Annie are my own family."

Will looked hurt, but that wouldn't register with her, she was blinded by her own anger. "Sharon…"

"You know what, I reckon you and Major Crimes have been planning this all along, haven't you? Sleep with Sharon Raydor, make her fall for you, make her fall in love with you. You must have loved the idea, getting laid, getting one over on Brenda who's happily married. Even better, you get to take down the annoying head of FID while you're at it. Let me make this clear, Will, you can tell Andy Flynn and that damn department anything you like, I don't care. But I do not like being used, and I do not appreciate being looked at under a microscope!"

He tried to turn to her, explain everything to her and beg for forgiveness, but by the time he had reassured a sleepy Caitlin that everything was okay; she had already walked out the door.

X

Tony was roused out of bed by the banging at his door; they'd only just gone to bed. His wife grumbled next to him, but they were both happy to be back together so she just kicked him playfully out of bed. He kissed her on the cheek and went downstairs to see who it was. Tony reached for his gun as he opened the door, and was very surprised to see a very tearful Captain Raydor on his doorstep. He hadn't realised she even knew where he lived.

"Captain?"

"I'm sorry Tony, but my brother is out of town and….me and Will broke up."

He closed the front door and watched her slump to the floor beside it. Tony sat next to her, tucking an arm around his shoulders. "What happened?"

Her eyes were red from crying, and her face was blotchy. He had rarely seen her that upset, and hated seeing her so. "I don't know…I just couldn't bear it. I've got some skeletons in my closet Tony, some big bones that could damage my already pitiful reputation at the LAPD. My Dad…he screwed up Tony, in so many different ways. Major Crimes are gunning for me, and it won't be soon before they find out, I know it."

"So…you and Pope…"

She snorted before resting her head on his shoulder. He held her tightly, his own resolve breaking. Tony felt the sudden urge to break Pope's legs for hurting her, reducing her to this mess. "I left him, just shouted at him for being with me to help Major Crimes and left."

"Is that the reason why you two got together? Because if so we can go to the Chief tomorrow morning and he'll be buried in Mexico by the end of the week."

She smiled at him, but it was a sad smile, and Tony held her even tighter. "No, I was caught up in the heat but it was all me. I hate the look of pity I see in his face every time I imagine everything coming out. I've never been with someone who didn't know everything about my past, and I don't think I can be. I'm better off alone, and by New Year he'll be dating someone new and FID will once again be hated. It's for the best."

Tony felt her tears still, and could see his wife at the landing of the stairs, looking down with sympathy. "Do you really believe that Sharon?"

It was the first time he had used her first name, and it was not lost on her. "No. I love him, I'm crazy about him and every day I don't see him my heart hurts. But I just can't do it; I can't be open with him like he wants, needs. I don't know what to do Tony."

His wife made them some tea, but Sharon just kept crying in his arms until the early hours of the morning.

X

He had called her, left a dozen messages but nothing was replied to. He asked his next door neighbour, the one with insomnia, to watch over his kids for an hour or so and Will headed to a bar; needing to be out of the house. He could smell her scent, see her buried in his sheets, and their break up, for that was what had happened, was very raw. The image of her in his shirt was rubbing salt into the wound. He asked for a bottle and a glass and started downing the harsh shorts of whiskey with fervour.

"You okay Chief?"

It was Flynn holding a coke and a whiskey, the coke being for him. Will just nodded and returned to his own bottle. His head wasn't working properly; he couldn't see how it could have gone so wrong so quickly. "I'm fine Lieutenant, have a good night."

Flynn hung at the bar for a moment longer. "Listen, thanks for not saying anything to Raydor about us. We're just trying to do what's best for the Chief and the department; you can understand that, can't you?"

_"You must have loved the idea, getting laid, getting one over on Brenda who's happily married. Even better, you get to take down the annoying head of FID while you're at it."_

Will downed another shot, enjoying the feeling of the whiskey run down his windpipe and settle like fire in his stomach. He checked his phone briefly, but still nothing. There was a picture of them on his phone, a risk but he loved the two of them in the picture, a snapshot from the beach. He shut his phone off, and reached for another shot.

"Let the witch burn."


	11. Chapter 11

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings. _

**Chapter Eleven**

_Addiction can take many forms._

_She's seen it in a lot of people, of various addictions and vices. Andy was the most poignant in her mind, the struggle to not take that one shot of whiskey, his hands trembling as he put the glass down. As his partner she had been there when he had thrown up all his food, his body shaking and pulling his soul and her heart in so many different directions. He had beaten the drink but had replaced it with a new addiction: the case, the chase, the catch. And her too, as her mouth and body surrendered to his touch she realised that she was an addiction to him as well._

_Sam had been addicted to life. She remembered the first time she had seen Sam, leather jacket and a glinting smile. She was only thirteen, the new girl on campus. The cheerleaders and the popular kids looked down on her with her second hand clothes and her own battered leather jacket that had been her father's back in Los Angeles. They ignored her, sent her books flying as she walked down the steps for the bus. But Sam watched her journey, observed her staring at his bike and smiled as her fingers stroked the chrome with a loving hand. He was at the High School; she was at the adjoining Junior High. And yet he looked at her, stared at her and for the first time she felt the flushes of love. _

_They shared the addiction of each other. He taught her how to ride, how to drive, how to think, how to feel. Her father adored Sam, even though he made out with his daughter on the back seat of Sam's dodgy Camaro. They loved the thrill of the bike, dashing through lights, going along the highway upstate. She had an eleven o'clock curfew, and they would ride until ten then make out in his car, kissing and biting so hard that she came to school the next day with hickeys on her neck. She remembered the first time she went all the way with him, a desperate way to piss off Abigail and Harry, another part of her rebellion and revenge. _

_Her addiction to her past is tainting, contaminating everything but just the idea of those who loathe her realising…it breaks her. She's seen the way they crowd against FID, support the officers who shoot civilians rather than persecute them. She remembers a time when it wasn't so; she's been with the LAPD longer than many of the others, in some ways she was born into the LAPD. _

_Another, more dangerous, addiction is forming under her skin: Will. He has called her every day, sent her letters, breaks off meetings to run down to the FID offices for just a glimpse of her, to talk to her. Tony sends her texts when he approaches, she can disappear like a ghost and watch him leave, view the contours of his face and _long _for how he made her feel. She sometimes drives to his house and watches him through the window, developing a cruel stalker obsession with the thought of revealing her past to him, letting herself open to him. He hasn't started dating anyone; she hasn't spoken to him in the month they've been broken up. But she plays the messages he's left over and over again, thinking of parallel universes and courage and his soft lips, and his arms around her keeping her safe._

_But then she wakes up, thinking about her father and not being able to breathe. So she remains the ghost with unfinished business, longing and counting down the days until things come out. Like waiting to die, the clock strikes every minute. _

X

Things with the Webster case needed to be finalised this week, among other things she needed to get her head straight. She had to get all the paperwork in order and talk to the District Attorney, the trial would be in less than a month and they had to be ready. Then there was the issue of Flynn and Provenza to deal with, they had been poking their noses in and talking to her staff, which wouldn't do at all. Of course there was Will too, but it was best not to think about him at all.

Sharon Raydor started banging her head against the wall of the lift. It was five o'clock in the morning, she was hoping that if she came in early and left early then she could miss Will altogether, who came in at normal time but most nights worked reasonably late. The door opened, she still continued to bash her head against the lift. It closed again, and the lift moved upwards.

She turned around to face whoever had stepped into the lift with her, mentally preparing an excuse for her head banging, but if it was any normal member of the LAPD they wouldn't care. Of course, that Monday morning had to produce her with the one abnormal member of the LAPD who loved her more than anyone, and would care that she was trying to give herself a concussion.

"Hi Will."

He looked a little tired, but so did she. Sleep was becoming impossible; all she could see was his face. His suit was straight; his tie was stuffed into his pocket. His eyes were still the brightest blue that they always had been, and Sharon felt her knees melting at the sight of them. She bit her lip as she watched him. Will bobbed his head and looked at her.

"Hello Sharon."

She had freaked out the night he had told her he loved her, mostly because she couldn't deal with questions about her past. It was an intrusion into her privacy, one she did not like and she had reacted like a wild animal in a dangerous situation. But flight had won out over fight, and she had run like she always did. Being on the other side of the line was a little refreshing, comforting; being away from questions and an actual relationship was safe. But she would risk everything if he just kissed her.

"Did you have a good Christmas?"

Small talk, it was not like them, not like they had become. December had passed in a blink; it was the first Monday after New Years and she couldn't believe that it had been a month since she had truly spoken to him. Sharon had not had a good Christmas, for it had been the first one she had spent alone. She refused to go to New York with Ben and Annie; instead she had watched Will and his family for a little, happy that Tommy had come down to join the celebrations before joining Claudia and Simon at a bar.

"It was okay. You?"

"I spent most of it trying to think up the perfect apology for you." Her heart skipped a beat. They were really doing this, really talking. "Sharon, I understand that your past is your own business, and I am so sorry that I prodded. If you really want to end this relationship, then I will of course respect your wishes. I would really like it if you possibly reconsidered giving me a second chance, because I love you and I have been a really big Grinch over Christmas because I missed you."

Sharon looked up at Will and felt him reach for her hands. His fingers felt so good on her cold skin, and she closed her eyes as she remembered what those fingers, hands, could do to her. Sharon courted the idea of making up in his office, opening up and telling him everything. But then she remembered what exactly was in her file and she broke their contact.

"You're better off without me, Will. You want Brenda Leigh Johnson, the girl with no baggage and a cute Southern accent. You don't need the New York rebel who has never really got over being a broken adolescent. See you around, Chief."

She walked out of the lift and tried to ignore Will's soft voice calling back to her. She ran to her office and took a hard gulp of air, pushing back the tears she was choking on. Cursing, she decided to walk down to the Cold Case department, the freezer. It was quiet; there were probably about four people in the building and that included her and Will. She found the files buried in the back, passed over Johnson's and searched for her own.

It was gone, it wasn't there. She searched again, but her file wasn't there.

Blood pumping in her ears, she headed down to files and records and looked for the other file she always monitored. It was still there, it was a minor footnote in her file but in her own there were still the psychological profiles and the background on Sam…

Her Monday was just getting worse by the minute.

X

Brenda Leigh Johnson walked in on Monday after a very lovely Christmas. Her post holiday mood improved even more when she came into her office to discover a present wrapped in blue paper and a white bow on her desk. She clapped her hands and sat at her desk, reading the tag. Her team had never gotten her a Christmas present before!

As she thought of her team, they came in to watch her open the present. Flynn and Provenza were grinning, Gabriel was smiling, Tao was eying the package suspiciously while Sanchez just seemed oblivious. She didn't know what was in it; it was the right size of a thin book. Brenda was touched.

"You shouldn't have, you really shouldn't have!" Brenda picked it up and gave it an experimental shake. "What is it?"

Provenza stepped forward and smiled at the Chief. "You'll see Chief. I happen to know that Captain Raydor wants one just like it."

She frowned for a minute before the smile returned. Brenda opened the present, smiling as the blue paper came away in her hand. She could see something like brown paper underneath, and as she pulled away the wrappings saw a manila file, bearing the name _Raydor, Sharon. _

"Exactly like that one, actually."

The Chief looked up from the file in her hands towards her team, and then back down at it. Raydor's file, her confidential file. There was probably some regulation about confidential files, and for anyone else she would respect it but this was _Raydor_ of all people. Her own file was buried back somewhere after the altercation with Estelle, and she knew that Raydor's file was not with the rest. Brenda wondered what secrets the FID Captain was hiding.

"Have you looked inside it?" she asked, her hands running over the file, unbelieving of what they had got in their hands. She knew that her team had been working on finding something dirty on Raydor, leading her to get a transfer and get replaced by someone who at least _understood _what it was like to be a police officer on the beat. But they had kept her out of the loop deliberately, and she was grateful now it all seemed to be paying off.

"We wanted to wait for you Chief, some people decided not to have a peek." Provenza pointedly looked at Flynn, who just smiled.

"Open your Christmas present Chief; we hear it's a great read."

Brenda sat down at her chair and put on her glasses. Her team gathered around her, and she smiled as she began to open the file. "You know the ending of this little tale Lieutenant?"

Flynn grinned as he moved around to the side of her desk, sitting on the edge. "I hear, ma'am, that it ends with a new head of FID."

"Hallelujah."

Brenda smiled at Provenza as she opened it to the first page. It was quite a thick file, and the first thing was an updated status sheet. "Captain Sharon Elizabeth Raydor, head of FID. Born in the June, marital status…she's divorced."

"What?" Flynn looked up from his position on the desk. No way was Raydor married, or had been married. She would have told him, she would have mentioned it when they had been comparing exes all those years ago.

"No way."

"Who'd want to tap Raydor, let alone marry her?" Provenza asked, looking at Flynn quizzically.

"I think as a woman she's kind of hot." They all stared at Sanchez for a moment, before turning back to the file at hand. Brenda shook off the first revelation and moved down the file to see what else they could dig up.

"Hey everyone, what's up?"

They had forgotten to put a note on the door, or leave Buzz outside, or just do something to make sure random officers didn't walk in uninvited. Either way Will Pope had just walked into their little meeting, with Raydor's file still open in front of them. Brenda closed it slowly, tapping it with her hand.

"Nothing much Chief, just looking over a few files. Thought we'd maybe put someone in Major Crimes, get some new blood in."

Will looked at her strangely. "Do you remember the time I asked you to remove someone from this department? You may not do, it took quite a while for you to actually _listen _to me, and take someone out. You can't have someone here; we don't have the money for it."

Brenda shook her head and pretended to be sad. "Well that goes that idea. Lieutenant Flynn, can you put this back in files and records for me?"

Flynn took the file, but Will sideswiped him and reached the file. He took it in his hands, and everyone held their collective breath. "Captain Raydor's file. Well I'm not sure how she'd fit in here, considering you all want her to be crucified." He took a breath and looked up at them. "I thought I'd told you two about this before, about acting against one of your own."

"Chief…in the bar…"

"She's not one of us!"

Will was furious; Brenda had only seen him like this a few times and none of them had ended well for her team. "Okay, Chief Johnson, here's what's going to happen. You want new blood in Major Crimes? You either stop this ridiculous feud with FID right this minute or I'll get you a whole new team, and in fact a whole new person in charge of MCU."

Brenda stood up, affronted. "Will…Chief Pope, you can't do that!"

He chuckled; he was tired of people not taking him seriously. "I can, and I will. One more chance, and then I will go to Chief Berrill and Deputy Chief Mitchell and we'll see what they say. I'd also like to remind you of a woman, much like Captain Raydor, who a few years back came to me saying that her team and in fact the whole LAPD loathed her for the way she did things. Grow up the lot of you, act like police officers."

Pope slammed the door to the office and Major Crimes sighed as he went away carrying the file. Brenda shoed them out of her office, wanting to get things straight in her head and work out how she could sort it all out. Flynn and Provenza left too, but as they did started to smile.

"We need to get that file."

"I'll bring the flashlight."

X

"Captain Raydor, I think we may have a tiny problem."

She didn't want to talk to Simon or Claudia or really any of her team right at that moment. What she really wanted to do was go and find Flynn and Provenza and string them up until they told her what they had done with her goddamn file. Before her was a steady collection of broken pencils, she had been stressed and her bike was in the shop so she couldn't ride.

"What. Is. It?"

Simon looked to Claudia who just prodded him to say something. "Captain I think that Flynn and Provenza have got your file."

She laughed and looked at her two lieutenants. "I'm aware of that, thank you. You wouldn't happen to know where Flynn and Provenza are now, would you?"

They looked at the Captain and then sat opposite her desk, staring at her. Sharon looked down at her two officers and tried to bite back the tears she could feel building inside her.

"What do you know?"

Claudia piped up; her own expression sorrowed, empathetic. "Captain, Provenza and Flynn stole your file and when Simon and I were eavesdropping, we saw Chief Pope come in."

"He left with a file."

Oh how ironic was that. Her relationship with Will had ended because he was pushing for her past and she couldn't be honest with him. And now he had her file which inside had the rough details of everything. If he looked at it, she wouldn't get a chance to explain, there was pieces of her heart broken inside that even he wouldn't be able to put back together.

"Well that's just great, isn't it?" She slumped against her chair, her head banging against the head rest. She couldn't take this, she needed to scream.

Simon looked out of the blinds to see Jimmy and Tony immersed in their work. He closed the blinds shut and turned to the Captain. "I have an idea."

"I don't like the sound of this," Claudia muttered from her chair, causing Simon to flip her the finger.

Sharon looked at Simon, who had a light bulb expression in his face. "Okay, well we think that Provenza and Flynn are going to go after that file. If it's in Chief Pope's possession, then they'll be following him. I doubt they'd make a move today, his secretary has eyes like a hawk and there are cops all over the place. So they'll try him at home."

She cocked one eyebrow up at him. "Simon, do you honestly think that Flynn and Provenza are stupid enough to break into the Assistant Chief's home to steal _my _file?"

"They really hate you ma'am."

Sharon nodded, that was very true. And they had once left a body at a crime scene to go to a baseball game. "Then the question really is, are _we _stupid enough to break into Chief Pope's home to steal my file?"

Claudia and Simon grinned. "We really like you ma'am."

For the first time since she had last been at Will Pope's house, Sharon smiled.

X

It was like watching a comedy act. Sharon felt herself trying to stop herself from giggling every time Simon fell off the trellis at Will's house. Ever since the two of them had come up with the idea to beat Flynn and Provenza to the punch and sneak into Wills house to steal her file, she had been trying to justify it in her head. Stealing the file meant that it would be out of the possession of Major Crimes, it also meant that Will wouldn't have to read what was in her file, instead she could tell him when she was ready. At least that was what she told herself, she wondered where the line was and when she would cross it.

"You get your skinny little ass down before you break your leg Simon," Claudia hissed, pulling on his trouser leg. Simon went tumbling down onto Claudia, the trellis following them. A light was switched on in the house and both of them pressed themselves up against the wall, trying to keep quiet. They were the worst thieves ever.

"Okay, here's the deal. I'm going to go distract Chief Pope, you are going to go upstairs and see if you can find the file. I'm going to give you an hour or so and then whether you've got it or not, just get out," Sharon announced, realising they should have thought of a plan before coming instead of just winging it. But a plan meant intent, and she didn't intend to cause Will harm, just get back what was hers.

"How are you going to distract him for an hour? No offence Captain, but I think he's into blondes."

Sharon tried not to correct Claudia, instead smiling and turning away from them, running towards the door. She could hear their muttered argument in the background, and turned back towards the door, thinking about what she was going to do herself. Shucking off her leather jacket and putting it over her arm, she undid her ponytail and tried to make herself presentable.

She knocked on Will's door, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to do. She couldn't let Will see the contents of the file, if he hadn't already. She needed to be the one to tell him…and if they got back together in the hour she had set aside for Claudia and Simon well then it wouldn't be all bad, she had missed him more than she had thought possible.

Will wrenched open the door bleary eyed - she must have woken him up. "Sharon?"

What could she say? How should she start? Sharon didn't really know, so she just walked up to Will and kissed him. It felt glorious, touching his lips and feeling his strong body against hers. She broke away for a moment, unsure if she had made the right move. That was until Will roughly grabbed for her hips and pulled her towards him, kissing her with all the force he could muster. He then reached behind and hoisted her legs around his waist, dragging her inside his house and slamming the door closed.

X

They had finally managed to get themselves into Chief Pope's house without making too much noise, and Simon and Claudia looked around, switching on a lamp to look around. It was a nice bedroom they had landed themselves in, a master bedroom from the looks of things. Claudia was looking out the window to make sure that the fallen trellis wasn't noticeable, but Simon was examining Chief Pope's life.

The bed was freshly made; the sheets were a rich red colour. On one side of the bed were photos of his children. The eldest one who had bitch slapped Chief Johnson was wearing graduation robes; and the two younger ones were cute and he remembered them from functions or the occasional time around Parker Centre. Buried half under the bed was a pair of underwear, and Simon picked them up with his latex gloved fingers.

"I think Chief Pope has got something going on, look at this, lacy and red…scarlet woman in our midst."

Claudia turned around and frowned at Simon. "Put those down."

"Think they may be Chief Johnson's?

"I don't know, just put them down."

Simon grinned as he threw the underwear to one side. "I suppose they would be pink. She has a pink trench coat, which I really do not understand. I can see them here you know, sexing up those black sheets. You know I saw Chief Pope at the gym once, working out. Despite the puffy attitude, he is actually kind of hot."

"I did not hear you say that."

Simon rolled over the bed and looked in a drawer, grinning at the small box of condoms and in his mind confirming his theory. His eyes glazed over the photographs, missing the frame with Captain Raydor and Chief Pope kissing on the beach and he turned back to Claudia.

"Are his kids in?"

"Tony asked him earlier and he said his two little ones were with their mom for a week."

"What about the other kid, emo brat?" Simon asked.

Claudia turned towards Simon. "Gone apparently, he's not here either. As long as the Captain keeps Pope busy downstairs, we shouldn't run into any trouble."

"Oh Belluci, you really suck at the whole Detective thing, don't you?"

Claudia and Simon looked up towards the door, and their faces fell.

X

They were kissing like teenagers on his sofa, but Sharon wasn't going to complain any time soon. She had missed Will's touch, missed the feel of him against her. He caressed her neck, kissing her so softly that she felt she was going to scream. His hands were on her waist, stroking the skin he found there. He was being so gentle with her, but she wanted it rough, she wanted to feel every time he touched her for weeks to come.

"Will…." She gasped against his skin, and he pulled back to look at her. He was smiling.

"Hey you," Will whispered, running his fingers over the edge of her ear. She grinned and moved into his embrace, huddling against his neck. She couldn't believe she was sitting there with him, letting him hold her. They had stopped kissing, just for the moment, and her legs were over his lap.

"I missed you this Christmas, I really did. And I know you did too."

She ran her hand up his arm, loving the way he was so protective over her when it was just the two of them. "And how do you know that, huh? I could have been in snowy New York in bed with some young architect."

She felt his grip on her arm tighten, and Sharon felt herself grow wetter. She had men be protective of her before, Sam being the biggest one. But with Sam his threats of anger and violence could come true, however Sharon knew that Will couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag on a good day, so his protectiveness was sweet. And that was what she wanted, just him being him and her being her. Sitting next to him, the past month was forgotten and she could just sit and relax.

"I saw you outside sometimes. I wanted to give you space, I didn't want to rush you. When you didn't return my calls or letters, I knew you wanted to be alone."

"Well now I just feel stupid."

"Well I did wonder why you wouldn't come in if you were so eager to see me, but I just decided that if you wanted to come in, you would."

He kissed her again, dragging his lips over her mouth. "Will…about the fight we had…"

"Come on. I have something to show you."

He grabbed her hand and she gave in to him. He held it tight within his own as he took her up the stairs to his bedroom. Sharon momentarily gave a thought to Claudia and Simon but she hoped they had left or were checking somewhere else. Either way, she made sure to stomp hard on the steps until Will made a grab for her waist and she ended up slung around him. As they got onto the landing, they were kissing hard, swallowing the past and creating something new. They entered his bedroom, and Sharon giggled as she remembered the last time she had been in there, with Will's socks. He flung her down on the duvet and joined her.

"I love you, I'm sorry it took me so long to say it. I love you so much."

Sharon kissed him hard on the mouth before hugging him. He held her tight, clinging onto her. As they started kissing again, they completely missed the slightly opened wardrobe door, or the gasps from inside.

X

Claudia looked towards the two figures in the doorway and her heart sank as she realised who they were. There was no mistaking the smug tone of Andy Flynn's, or the sneer of Provenza. As they came into the light they saw that they too were wearing mostly black, and Provenza only had one shoe. He saw Simon staring at his socked foot.

"I don't climb."

"Bet there's a lot of things you don't do, Provenza," Claudia sneered.

"Give me a reason Belluci, just give me a reason."

Flynn and Simon stepped in between them, and made hushing motions. Pope was downstairs; this was supposed to be a stealthy operation. They didn't need a fight to break out. "I take it you two are here for the file."

"Yeah, we are. Listen, how about you guys go home, we'll find the file and we'll share it with you later."

Provenza actually walked out of the door until he turned around and walked back into Will Pope's bedroom frowning. Claudia and Simon giggled, and Flynn just shook his head. "Your boss is a bitch, can't you see that?"

Simon coughed before walking up to Provenza. Claudia was proud of his strength; the holidays had done wonders for his self esteem as he had spent the Christmas with her and the Captain; and then later the Belluci clan, finally finding a place to slot in. He put his hands on his waist and smiled. "_Your _boss is a bitch, can't _you _see that?"

There were movements towards another scuffle, and it was stopped just in time before it became noisy. "We're getting nowhere. Listen, we all want the file, how about we go our separate ways and search over here. We need to get a distraction for Pope downstairs," Flynn decided.

"Raydor's already doing that. Must be talking about budgets or something, it's really quiet down there."

"Or transferring your ass Belluci, one or the other."

Simon had to stop Claudia punching Provenza and both pairs of detectives went their separate ways. Flynn and Provenza searched the most obvious place first, Pope's study, but all they found was old case files and budget reports. When Simon and Claudia had a chance to go through it, they discovered that Will Pope was quite a doodler. They had a quick search through the kid's bedrooms, but just from the door. There was a line over and above breaking into an Assistant Chiefs house, and that was it. The bathroom was a no go, although they did find an extra toothbrush and more women's underwear: Simon was looking.

"What are you doing Simon?" Claudia asked the second time he peeked into the airing cupboard to look at the drying clothes.

"Well, Claudia, it's all about stealth. We need to know who's been in this house, and whether we're gonna get surprised or not. He's seeing someone for definitely, and I reckon its Chief Johnson."

Flynn caught a fragment of their conversation as he passed the bathroom and hissed: "Shut your mouth Stoker, she wouldn't touch him."

"Again," giggled Claudia, and her and Simon high fived.

Provenza rolled his eyes as they moved back to Pope's bedroom, having found nothing anywhere else on the floor. Claudia giggled as she mimed Flynn having a crush on Chief Johnson and they, too, moved back to the bedroom. Claudia was just about to take out her phone and call the Captain to ask her to bring Pope upstairs to his study or something so they could check downstairs when they heard loud noises on the stairs.

"Shit, they're coming up here."

The closeness of the noises and the locale of the bedroom compared to everything else meant they had to hide rather than go to another room. The only place they could go was in the slatted wardrobe to the right of the bed. Claudia shoved Simon in first, and Provenza and Flynn quickly joined them. They closed the doors just in time as Pope and Raydor came into the bedroom.

Through the wooden slats of the wardrobe, they could see that Pope was carrying Raydor before slinging her on the duvet. He soon joined her, and started stroking her hair.

"Oh my god," Provenza hissed, and started to chuckle silently. Flynn just watched as Pope whispered something to her and they started kissing. He knew Sharon Raydor as far as any man ever could, and he knew she rarely went for one night stands, if ever. In all the time they had been dating, they had never slept together. He remembered the boxes of condoms Simon had found, the underwear and the toothbrush that the detective had thought belonged to Chief Johnson. As he watched Will Pope and Sharon Raydor kiss and smile at each other, he realised they were in fact the Captain's.

Taking a quick look at Claudia's face in the thin ray of light in the wardrobe, he knew she realised it too.

X

She didn't care about the file, didn't care about Simon and Claudia, she just cared that everything in her body felt right. Her and Will were kissing on his sheets, one leg wrapped around him as they kissed.

"Oh I've missed this. I've missed you."

Sharon shifted against the pillows and cocked one finger towards Will. He smiled and crawled over, letting her kiss his nose. "You said you had something to show me."

Will coughed. "Yes, yes I did."

He disappeared off the side of the bed, the bottom half still on the bed. Sharon took the moment to smack his behind, causing him to bang his head against the floor and curse her. He sat upright and growled at her before attacking her neck with his mouth. She managed to force him off, giggling as she did so. Will then produced a pair of her underwear. "These belong to you."

"Yes they do, you are correct." She giggled as she took the underwear from his hands. They were a pair of red lace, one of her favourites in fact. She had forgotten she had left them here; they hadn't really been on her list of worries this past month.

"Yeah, I've got some more of your underwear and your spare toothbrush here. You can take it if you want," Will announced, cupping her face and stroking her cheeks.

"Leave it. Leave it all here." They kissed again. "Was that all you wanted to show me?"

"Well…."

Her hand moved over Will; and Sharon could feel the bulge in his trousers and snorted. "I've already seen that honey, although to be honest I'd be more than happy for another viewing."

As they kissed, Will unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it over her shoulders, leaving it on the floor. She was wearing a thin cotton strap top with a black bra underneath. He groaned as he pulled her on top of him, pushing the fabric up so he could caress the scars on her back. One hand moved down further and cupped her behind inside her jeans, feeling the lace of her current underwear.

"I love you," Sharon gasped, and Will grinned. He moved away from her and reached down under the mattress.

Sharon watched as he pulled out her file. She would know the manila file anywhere, there was a little pencil drawing of a baseball player in the corner that she had drawn in a fit of boredom one day. Will coughed and brought her close so their knees were touching. He handed her the file.

"Your file. I took it off Flynn and Provenza, I…I haven't looked. I want _you _to tell me rather than have to read about it. I want the stories; I want to hear your beautiful voice tell me."

She ran her fingers down the file, noting the crease in the corner where Flynn and Provenza must have grabbed it. This was what she was here for, the damn file of hers. She had helped Claudia and Simon break into Will's house; she had broken up with him because she was furious with his curiosity. She was currently seducing him to get this file, although it had become more aligning her heart with his than trying to retrieve her past. She had the file, she could just leave. But the look in his eyes, the way her heart sang with him made everything irrelevant of what came before. She chucked the file over her shoulder, spilling paper on the floor but she didn't care. Sharon pushed Will to the bed and started kissing him, enjoying his hum of approval.

"I love you Will, more than anything." She turned serious for a moment, tracing his jaw. "I've missed you."

He brushed away the tear that was forming and kissed her softly. "I love you so much that if I can't have you right now I'm going to scream."

Her phone was in her pocket, and it fell to the floor as Will pulled away her trousers and left them on the floor next to the file. His shirt was the next to go, and they giggled as they removed more clothing. They kissed for a moment, with Will crushing her to him. He was about to pull down her panties and tease her till she begged when her phone rang, and Sharon recognised the ringtone she had assigned to Claudia.

X

Simon didn't think he had ever been in a more awkward situation. He was watching Captain Raydor, the woman he respected and admired, kiss Chief Pope who among other things was a bit of a sleaze. Things started to add up in his head: the present she had been left, the supposed bike ride where she had met Pope and been attacked by a serial killer, the man at work she wanted to impress by looking nice. It wasn't Chief Johnson who Pope was sleeping with, but in fact their very own Captain Raydor. Simon was disappointed in Sharon, he thought she had better taste and was with someone she could have a future with, not Chief Sleaze.

Provenza was still chuckling in the background, and Claudia was looking at the two with the same look of disappointment that he was.

"Didn't think that Captain Raydor would be the latest notch in his bedpost."

Flynn heard the whisper and realised that he knew Sharon Raydor better than the two detectives in her own department. Maybe it was the wall she liked to keep up that prevented them from seeing her in reality, but Andy knew that there was something serious going on. You didn't leave underwear and a toothbrush at your booty call's home. He was the boyfriend she had been referring to on Thanksgiving, and he decided that when they got out of his house he needed to tease Provenza: he had suggested Pope as a possible candidate but he had laughed at him.

They watched as they started undressing each other, and all four of them became very uncomfortable. However, from the little they could see, they could see that there was something on Captain Raydor's back. When Pope moved his hand a little, Flynn could see a variety of scars on her back, white and shiny.

"Fuck me."

That explained a lot about Raydor, how even when they were making out she kept his hands off her back and hadn't gone all the way. Claudia was sighing softly, and Simon was looking sad. Both were imagining scenarios where she could have got such scars, and none of them were pleasant.

Uncomfortable, Simon's hands shifted as he tried to remove the image of Will Pope cupping Captain Raydor's behind out of his mind. He accidentally grazed someone's trousers, and seeing as Flynn was next to him, Simon continued to shift till his hand was pressed against the other mans crotch. He smiled; he had been wanting to do this for quite some time.

"That better be your hand Belluci."

The position of Simon's hand was forgotten as Will Pope appeared with the file. That was what they were all after, why they had broken into the Assistant Chief's house in the first place. But Flynn didn't care about the file any more. He had secrets in his own past, some he was ashamed of, some he was not. Seeing the scars on Raydor's back reminded him of his own, but the memory of her working an FID scene returned to him in a vicious flash. They no longer needed the file. As Flynn raised his phone to snap a picture of the Chief of Police and the head of FID having sex, they were disturbed by a phone ringing. Looking to the left he could make out Claudia snarling at him, holding her own phone.

X

"I better get that."

Sharon moved away from Will and grabbed her phone, answering it. "Hello?"

"_Hey Captain_."

"Hey Claudia. Listen the case you were looking at in the freezer, just scrap it and go home. We all need a little chill out time, and you've been working way too hard in the Cold Case department."

Sharon smiled at Will who grinned back, watching her sway gently on the phone. Claudia's voice was a little hushed, and Sharon wondered where she was. As she looked towards the wardrobe in the corner and saw a flash of something in there, her heart began to beat wildly. Oh no. Not there. The universe could not be that cruel.

"Claudia…are you okay?"

"_Yeah I'm fine, you're looking a little flushed though Captain. Chief Pope raising your heart rate?"_

"Okay, have a good evening, bye!" She was finding it difficult to breathe. It was time that Claudia and Simon knew the truth about her and Will, Tony already knew, but she didn't want them to find out like that. She turned to Will and climbed back on the bed, shaking as she did so. "Could you get me a glass of water please? I'm feeling a little dehydrated."

"Course." He kissed her before pulling his shirt back around him and heading down the stairs. When she heard him on the last stair she pulled on her own trousers and turned towards the wardrobe. The doors opened slowly and she saw Claudia and Simon, but her heart sank as she saw Provenza and Flynn in there with them.

"Oh fuck me."

"I think that's what Chief Pope was just doing," Provenza snarked, smirking as he looked at her. She was standing behind the remains of her file, but she could see in their eyes that it was not her file that they were after any more, they now had all the ammunition they had to ruin her. Although the Chief was aware of their relationship which was in accordance with LAPD policy, if it got out that they were having sex then both of their careers would be ruined.

"Listen you two, don't do anything hasty."

Flynn grinned. "Hasty like telling your boss that you're working on top of Pope now?"

"Flynn…"

They couldn't go downstairs and use the front door; they had to go out the way they came in. Flynn and Provenza just walked away, smirking and there was nothing they could do to stop them that wouldn't alert Pope to their presence. Sharon was frozen in shock by what was happening, it wasn't her past that was going to ruin her but her present.

"Tell Pope we said hello. You're a dead woman walking Raydor."

Hearing that, Sharon flipped. She ran for Flynn and rugby tackled him to the floor, making Provenza yelp as he jumped out of the way. Claudia and Simon ran to watch the fight. Sharon was holding him in place but Flynn managed to push her away. They were being very loud, and all of them cursed as Sharon punched Flynn in the nose and the sound of bone breaking echoed around them. Holding his nose tight he kicked Sharon in the thigh and the two ended up scuffling close to the stairs, Flynn getting in a lucky jab or too.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"

Will pushed Sharon and Flynn onto the landing away from the stairs and onto the floor. His face was fierce, and Simon was worried about what was going to happen next. Pope looked over the scene, seeing three detectives watching Flynn and Sharon scrap on the floor. A bruise was forming on her lip, and blood was gushing from Flynn's nose. He could see that as the scene sunk into Sharon that she was shaking a little.

"I take it you five are here for the file." Sharon didn't miss his use of the word 'five', and neither did any of the others. Provenza helped Flynn to his feet, and Claudia and Simon brought Sharon to their side. All of them looked at Will, his shirt now buttoned and the hard on in his pants gone. Instead they were faced with the Assistant Chief, a darker one than they were used to and all of them were worried.

"Okay, this has got way out of hand. _You broke into_ _my house_ to get some stupid file. I don't know what's in it; I don't care anymore what's in it. Captain Raydor your file seems to be of a lot of contention these days, so maybe you should just spill what's in it and save us all a great deal of trouble."

Sharon kept silent, and Will closed his eyes for a moment before opening with dark pupils.

"Well, that's that then. I assume you all made sure that my children were out of my house before doing this? But that doesn't really matter, because you broke in and searched my house, where my kids could have been sleeping. I am _disgusted_. All five of you are on unpaid leave for a week. I could and should go to Internal Affairs with this, but I'm not going to."

Flynn smirked, and Will nodded. "I'm assuming you saw my incident with Captain Raydor, but believe me, Lieutenant, if I hear anything about that, you and Provenza will both be retiring without a pension, and you three will be out of a job. Now get out of my fucking house before I call a black and white to arrest you."

Sharon moved back into her bedroom to collect her shirt and phone, leaving the file. All five of them used the front door, and Will slammed it behind them. Provenza and Flynn went in one direction and Claudia and Simon went in the other, Sharon just stood on her own, not sure what to do. The door opened behind her and she turned around to see a flush of paper falling to the doorstep. The door slammed again, and Sharon saw the tattered paper of her file on the ground. She didn't know what to do, but as it started to rain she gathered the pieces of paper in the file and walked home.


	12. Chapter 12

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings._

**Chapter Twelve**

_Sex._

_She hasn't had much of it in her life. Sam was her first, and after him she didn't feel like she could feel anything again, her life was a numb repeat of the day before. She can count her sexual partners on one hand, which for Annie is a great amusement, for Ben it's a statement of honour. She's broken, but she has loved. _

_Sam was her first, starting from fumbling quickies in the back of his car before moving into passionate embraces as both of them grew up and rose in popularity among their Los Angeles friends. But then things grew darker, twisted and the sex became rough and the scars that formed the array on her back began as she started to refuse. _

_Jay Baker, a young FBI agent who had been her contact when she had been working in the gang unit. He had been sweet, he had been wonderful and beautiful to her, letting her keep her t-shirt on in bed, understanding her need for privacy. But like all good things, it came to an end as she transferred. _

_She'd had a one night stand after she had first transferred to FID and had fed one of her colleagues to the wolves. They'd met in some trendy bar that wasn't her usual place, they'd had drunken sex and she'd slipped out while he had been sleeping. _

_The second big love of her life had been Alexander Thwaite, a New York cop who she had been involved with for several years when she had moved between LA and the big apple. They had made love and walked in snowy streets and eaten Chinese food at three in the morning. He was married now, had two kids, but whenever she saw him she could see the thought of what might have been in his eyes. _

_Then there was Will. She had never met a man like him, had never opened up to anyone quite so willingly. There was a broken soul behind his front, and she was attracted to that more than anything. Despite the fact that they had both been half drunk when they had first made love, with him she could be herself. They didn't even have to have sex, she just enjoyed being beside him, hands clasped as they slept. Will was what she wanted to wake up to in the morning - the months they had spent together and apart had made her realise she didn't want to be with anyone else. _

X

Sharon wasn't sure what to do with herself. She'd had a week to think about the events that had gone on inside Will's house, but she still wasn't any clearer about things. She knew Will was hurt, that was obvious in the few business exchanges they had had. But when she had tried to talk to him on a personal level, there was nothing. She had gone to Will's secretary to get some answers; but she had received a mellow reply. Will was working late hours, later than he needed and he wasn't eating during the day either.

She needed to talk to him, needed him to notice her instead of the blank ghost state she now received. But apart from that, she needed to choose more 'safe' recreational activities to relieve her stress. According to her doctor, her bike was off limits. Teaching a nineteen year old how to ride through Orange County does not a sensible idea make. There was some grazing on her shoulder, nothing serious but enough that wearing thick layers in the January weather made her want to scream.

She felt two hands on her shoulder and she let out a yelp of pain, but not as loud as the one someone did behind her. Sharon turned around to see Jimmy standing there, his hands up high like he was under arrest.

"Sorry Captain, I didn't mean to hurt you," he said sincerely. "Your shoulders looked tense, so I thought I'd rub them."

He was a sweet boy, Jimmy. Too sweet for his own good sometimes, but then Sharon was never sure whether Jimmy would be the one breaking hearts or getting his own broken.

"Thanks for the try Jimmy, but my shoulder is all grazed up. I took a tumble off my bike this weekend."

"God are you okay?"

She rested her hand on his cheek and gave it a little pat. "I'm fine thanks Jimmy, no scarring just some grazing and probably one heck of a bruise once everything goes down. Have you got the Webster case…?"

Apart from burying herself in tarmac, she was also trying to bury herself in her work. This meant working late hours trying to get a glimpse of Will, but no luck. She'd knocked on his door, but nothing. It did mean that they were more prepared for the Webster case, and the trial was going to be sometime in the beginning of February. Just in time for Valentine's Day.

"You know you should go out to a bar some time Captain, just chill out with a bottle of something," Jimmy suggested.

Sharon was tempted by the suggestion. She'd been avoiding her team while trying desperately to talk to Will, all for the same reason. Claudia and Simon now knew her secret, that she was, or had been, in a relationship with Chief Pope. Of course they hadn't talked about it since, and she wasn't clear whether they knew Tony knew, or vice versa. For over a month now her life had been a tangled mess, she needed to regain some sort of control.

"You know what Jimmy; I think I'll take you up on that offer. You got a bar in mind?"

She knew she was playing with fire: Jimmy had feelings for her, but she wasn't sure whether they had faded or not. Either way, going for a drink was a dangerous combination. But if she showed him that she wasn't to be put on some pedestal; that she was just a normal cop then maybe he could move on and she wouldn't feel so awkward about being around him. Plus, it would be nice to spend an evening in the company of a fellow cop that didn't hate her guts, nor knew of her illicit relationship with her boss.

"Yeah I've got somewhere in mind. Go straight from here?"

Sharon couldn't cope with an evening in her thick jacket and blouse on her shoulder. "No, give me the address and I'll meet you there, it'll be easier that way. Eight o'clock sound good for you?"

"It sounds amazing. Can't wait - Sharon."

The use of her name rang alarm bells, but she shrugged it off. Maybe this would be a good time to have _the talk _with Jimmy.

"I have no interest in a relationship with you Jimmy, you're too young and I'm still pathetically in love with Chief Pope."

She'd work on it at lunch.

X

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Claudia announced, putting stress on her sentence so that she sounded like a character from _Star Wars_. Simon just rolled his eyes and continued to dig around in the Cold Case files. He didn't want to talk about this, just wanted to continue on like nothing had happened. Since seeing the Captain and the Chief, things had been tense. No one had wanted a discussion about the events in fear of facing either Raydor's wrath, or the Chief's. Of course that meant that working in FID was chilling, and relations between them and Major Crimes had never been worse.

"Come on Simon, we all need to talk about this and move the fuck on. I think I've said three words to the Captain since I saw her straddling Chief Pope…"

He shushed her and continued to flick through the files. "Keep your voice down - although it's a crypt in here, there may actually be people working."

They were going through the back log of unsolved cases, seeing if anything would grab their eyes. They were meant to be working on the Webster Case, but the efficiency of their boss and the lack of officer shootings meant that they could continue their hobby of unsolved cases.

"Whoa, I just found something!" Simon announced, beckoning Claudia over.

"Is it the Captain's underwear, because I think she's stopped looking for those."

He flipped her the middle finger, opening the file readily. He was tired of the jokes that Claudia made about the Captain's relationship with Chief Pope - he had seen the change in her the last few months to a happier officer, and whether or not it was true, Simon laid that at Pope's door. It made him like the man.

"Check this out - UCLA killer, killed nine girls but more importantly….check out how cute that picture is of the Captain and Flynn!"

Claudia rolled her eyes. "You brought me over here, got me all excited for some out of date picture? Simon we're supposed to be looking for cases that we can solve now - all we can solve there is that Flynn finally managed to find a decent barber."

They decided to give up their cold case trawl for that day and retire back to the FID offices, hoping that one of Central's more gun happy officers would provide them with something to do that afternoon. Even someone kicking a dog would be a welcome escape from the ridged quietness that had set in.

As they got into the offices, they saw that the Captain had closed her blinds, although Claudia didn't expect anything less. Tony was nowhere to be found, but there was Jimmy sitting there with the smuggest look on his face. She was itching for a cigarette, and unbeknownst to Simon [who thought she was quitting] she had a pack in her drawer.

"What are you so happy about huh?" Claudia asked, kicking off her shoes and sitting at her desk, trying to ignore the whisper of the packet.

"Well now that you ask Claudia, I have a date with the Captain!"

Simon looked to Claudia and then back at Jimmy, unsure if the young officer was having a joke with them, or not. "I'm sorry….did you just say date?"

Jimmy grinned like he'd just won the super bowl; the other two detectives just frowned and waited for him to explain himself. "I was talking to the Captain about her relaxing once and a while, and she took me up on the offer of going out. We're going to a bar."

He smiled at Simon and Claudia, and they both exchanged looks, concerned. This was playing with a pretty huge can of worms, and they were worried that the Captain didn't know just how big it was. Jimmy continued to work on his reports, and the two of them just booted up their desktops, trying to figure out what was going on in their heads.

Thankfully, about ten minutes later, Tony came in. The pair jumped up and dragged him from the office, ignoring his protests and leaving Jimmy none the wiser. They took him to the roof where they could have a quiet conversation. Tony waited for an explanation, but Simon was not forthcoming. He was watching Claudia shake a cigarette out from her packet and light it.

"What's up with you two? I thought you quit!" Tony asked, staring at the young detectives who were acting more odd than usual. He didn't like the feeling he was getting on the back of his neck, it suggested trouble and that was one thing that their department could do without.

Claudia's hands were shaking, and the little lit stick was waving up and down. "The Captain. Jimmy. Date," she muttered between gasps of her cigarette. Tony looked at Simon for some clarification, but he had started running his hand through his hair every three seconds. Seeing that he was going to get nowhere, Tony sat Claudia down and turned to Simon.

"Jimmy told us that he's going on a date with the Captain," Simon explained, still in shock about things. Jimmy going on a date with Raydor had been a running joke for ages, ever since the young officer had revealed his crush on her. They knew, especially now, that the Captain didn't have any feelings for Jimmy and Simon wondered whether the young man had mistaken friendly intentions for a date with his dream woman.

"He's lying - she's still in love with…" Tony stopped himself just in time, but he had given enough away for Simon to realise that their fellow officer knew about the Captain's relationship with Chief Pope. His eyes widened and he pointed at Tony accusingly.

"You know!"

"Know what?" But he had already made the slip, and he realised that things were going to get even stranger in the FID offices.

Simon continued to brandish his finger while Claudia, now realising what was going on, joined in. It felt good to talk to someone about it, and she stamped out her current cigarette. "You know that Captain Raydor is screwing Chief Pope!"

Tony was an incredible detective, and his face held Simon's until he broke and turned away. Simon and Claudia felt some sense of triumph. They watched Tony try to struggle with an answer until he finally decided to give in and start speaking the truth.

"How did you find out?

Claudia's fingers fumbled for another cigarette, her craving overcoming the happiness of things being out in the open. "We broke into Chief Pope's house to get back the Captain's file and she distracted him by stripping." Simon gave her a vicious look. "Okay they looked happy all snuggled up and making out on his bed, but they were still breaking the goddamn rules. How did you find out?"

"You remember when Captain Raydor went for a ride and discovered that killer?" Tony asked, leaning against the wall of the roof.

"Yeah."

"Date with Chief Pope."

Simon looked gobsmacked, he couldn't believe it. Looking back on it now, it had seemed quite odd but he had just been happy to see the Captain alive. "You're kidding."

"Nope. Had to bring her a change of clothes."

Claudia smiled. "Well damn."

"Told you that's why she's been so happy." The three detectives that Sharon Raydor trusted beyond all measure were thinking about her illicit relationship, but also how her mood had changed over the last few months. She had smiled more, come out of her shell and had shared with them all. It was a welcome change, and had made working in FID a pleasant experience, more of a family.

"So why is she going out with Jimmy if things are good with Pope? Apart from us breaking into his house" Claudia asked, going to light her third cigarette until Simon blew the flame out. He frowned at her until she put the cigarettes back in her pocket.

Tony crossed his arms. "It's this whole damn file thing, they broke up before Christmas. I have no idea why she is going out with Jimmy, but it's a bad idea. Maybe he got the wrong end of the stick?"

"Either way, this is going to screw up everything. He loves her and respects her but he can get hurt just like that - she has that power over him. This is just going to end in tears. You are Yoda, Tony. Fix this so things aren't awkward anymore."

Tony rolled his eyes and he realised that he would have to do something. He needed to talk to Sharon about this 'date' with Jimmy, and maybe even Jimmy himself. But the quickest way to stop any more trouble in the department was to get an outside source to talk to Sharon about it all. He would have to talk to Will Pope. He strode off in possession of a mission when something made him turn around.

"I'm sorry…broke into Chief Pope's house?"

X

Will Pope looked up at the ceiling of his office before looking back down at the sleeping form of Caitlin on his sofa. She had a throat infection, and was having a mild temperature too. He had been in the process of telling the Chief that he wouldn't be at work until his girl was feeling better when she had rasped that she could come too. After Caitlin had argued with him and put on his uniform hat, he had conceded and bundled her up in his coat and had taken her to work. With all his meetings reorganised and his paperwork sorted out, he was determined to be home with his baby girl for lunch.

"Chief, can I have a word?"

He looked up to see Tony standing in the doorway, and Will nodded, raising a finger to his lips. Will kissed his daughters red cheeks before turning to the Lieutenant. He had been avoiding all FID staff for a week, mostly out of embarrassment. He couldn't remember exactly what he had done with Sharon that night, but it wasn't stuff they would show on the Disney Channel.

"How can I help you?" Will whispered, keeping both eyes on Caitlin. His children rarely got sick, and it was scaring him to death to see Caitlin like this. Despite her protests, he would be getting tomorrow off and playing _Hannah Montana _with her to her heart's content.

"Chief I thought you should know that Captain Raydor is planning to go on what at least he thinks is a date with Jimmy Beatie. And also - I'm so sorry that tweedle dum and tweedle dee broke into your house. I've reprimanded them and threatened to take away internet access and cigarettes if they do it again."

Will smiled for a moment until Tony's words sunk in and his chest felt like it had caved in on itself. She couldn't be, she wasn't that stupid and she wasn't that cruel. His fingers gripped the edge of his desk before he started his exercises to calm himself. Considering his reaction last week when he had thrown her out of his house, he had no right to be jealous but he was. He needed to talk to her directly, be a man about things and ask her whether there was still a chance for them or if things were too late.

"Could you tell her I need to see her? I want to discuss this with her; it's in direct abuse of LAPD policy," Will hissed. "And thank you Lieutenant, it's nice to know there's someone sane in FID."

Tony nodded and Will returned to his daughter, stroking her forehead ever so gently as she drifted further into sleep.

X

Sharon didn't know why Will wanted to see her, but she hoped that it was to talk things over between the two of them. She knocked on his office door, but no one answered. She peeked in and expected to see Will embroiled in some sort of horrible paperwork. Instead she saw Will on his sofa, a sickly Caitlin wrapped in his arms. Her heart sang at the sight of them, and she smiled wistfully.

Caitlin felt hot, and it felt as if her Daddy was heading the same way. She ran her thumb lightly over his eyelids until she felt them open against the pads of her fingers. Sharon sighed as she saw those bright blue eyes, and her fingers reached down to trace over his smile.

"Hi."

"Hi."

Caitlin stirred against Will and opened her eyes, dazzlingly similar to her fathers. "Sharon," she mouthed and the Captain reached down and picked up the little girl, huddling her as close as she could to her. Caitlin was a little radiator, but Sharon's freezing cold skin seemed to sooth the child. Will watched the two of them before removing his tie and kissing Caitlin's head before brushing Sharon's lips with his.

"Caitlin, baby, why don't you ask Sylvia if she knows if the cafeteria has any ice cream?"

The little girl shifted off Sharon's lap and headed to the doorway with a smile. Sharon smiled awkwardly before sitting on the sofa next to Will. No one said anything for a few moments before Sharon reached over and grabbed Will's hand.

"I'm sorry."

"I know. So am I."

They smiled before holding each other as they accepted each other's apology and warmth. His hands moved over her shoulders and pushed the jacket off of her, jumping back when she hissed. Will pulled down the shoulder of her light shirt and saw the grazing.

"How did you do that?"

"Wasn't careful on my bike."

He nearly growled at her and went to find his first aid kit. Will treated her wound delicately, occasionally letting his fingers trace over the palm of her hand, or brushing his lips almost accidentally against her broken skin. He managed to apply antiseptic and a bandage which either her incompetent doctor had forgotten to do, or she had taken off. Either way, he shook his head at her.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be - you're just trouble." She smiled at him. "Talking about trouble, what are you doing going on a date with Jimmy Beatie?"

Sharon froze and pushed Will away, looking at him in disbelief. "I'm not going on a date with him! He talked about relaxing at a bar; I agreed and asked him to tag along. It'll be nice to go out with someone who isn't caught up in all of _this_!"

"This?"

She couldn't define their relationship, their courtship, their muddled joining. They had put together their confused feeling and had drunken sex, moving their relationship into the romantic as both of them opened up. Then she had dived straight in, Will had pulled back until he had finally said his love and made love to her. He had pushed forward, pushing her and forcing her to run as far as she could. Just as she had made up her mind to put aside her past and be with him, her actions had made Will realise what sort of father he wanted, needed to be. It was confusing, it was confusing her and making her lose the order she was so used to having.

"I just want an evening where things don't have to be so complicated.

Will frowned. "Well if it's so complicated, then I think we should talk about it."

Sharon looked at Will, crossing her arms over her chest. "Maybe….maybe you're just jealous."

He looked affronted and she started to smirk. Sharon stood up and pulled her jacket over her shoulders, wincing as the fabric came over her shoulders. Will joined her, and rested both hands on her own. "I'm not jealous."

"You are! We're not together right now Will, you've got no claim on me." She walked to the door, resting her hand on the handle and smiling at the state that Will was getting himself into. She missed the playfulness of their relationship, and already she could start to feel things returning slowly to normal.

"You said 'right now'."

She turned around to face him. "Next week, when Caitlin is better we can go to dinner and talk about where we are, what we want and whether we can see this working. Be adults about this instead of horny high school seniors."

His smile was faint, but it was there. As she walked out of his office she felt lighter, finally in control of things and still the possibility of Will remained. She waved at Caitlin as she was being brought back to her father's office, a tub of ice cream in her little hands. Walking down the corridor she saw Flynn and Provenza and they avoided her gaze, not wanting to return to last week's shenanigans. Entering the FID officers, she saw Jimmy typing at his computer with a grin on his face.

"Jimmy, you still up for a friendly evening?"

He grinned at her, almost wolfish but it softened quickly at her expression. "Yes ma'am."

X

She couldn't remember the last time she had been to a bar, nor what she was wearing at the time. So she had dressed in low slung jeans, a thin spaghetti strap shirt with an even thinner shirt on top so her shoulder wouldn't be aggravated. Hair loose, the nicest pair of trainers she owned on her feet and a nervous smile completed her look. Sharon saw Jimmy at the bar, eyeing up some of the young women there. They were all wearing skirts, thinner and shorter tops than her own and high heels that she would not be able to wear. The girls were also younger, blonder and definitely holding sway with the male crowd.

However, as his head swung in her direction, Sharon realised that it didn't matter to him. The look he gave her was full of lust, full of adoration and the girls around him that would easily fall at his feet didn't seem that interesting any longer.

Sharon realised this might not be such a great idea after all.

"Hey Jimmy."

"Hey Cap - Sharon."

She smiled and ordered a beer. "Just because we're drinking together doesn't mean I'm not your boss, Detective."

He grinned at that and they continued to drink for a while, keeping to safe topics like the city and not straying into anything personal at first. As the music changed, Sharon began to feel more uncomfortable. This was a young person's bar, a place where people danced and drank and had sex in random places. She had never felt this young, never this free of responsibility. She had always had something resting on her soul, a burden that had been placed there without her consent.

"You okay?"

"I'm good Jimmy, I'm good."

She ordered another beer just after she finished the first one, desperate to the get the taste of alcohol in her mouth. They made small talk, discussing the force and his family. She got him started on France, and he brandished his arms around, talking vividly about the world he could see himself in, the life he could be living. His dream life.

"Have you ever been to Paris?" Jimmy asked, moving their beers and snacks over to a table that had just opened up. Sharon shook her head, wistfully thinking about the dreams she and Sam had had when they were kids and the world was open to them.

"Never really travelled much. I think that is one of my biggest regrets."

Jimmy smiled. "You shouldn't regret things Captain; it makes living worth less and less. One day, I promise you I'll take you to Paris."

She smiled and took a gulp of her beer. "Jimmy, I think that's a bit inappropriate."

"We're drinking out of uniform in some upscale night club, Sharon. I don't think we can get much more inappropriate."

"Oh I bet we could."

Jimmy nodded and raised his bottle to her. They continued to sit in silence for a few moments until the song changed and he picked up a different thread. His brother had just gone out to Afghanistan, and they had a mildly political conversation which took a sharp turn into LAPD politics and LAPD policy. She made a quick beeline to the toilets before it got into dangerous territory and was unnerved to discover that her legs were like jelly. She didn't think she had been drinking that much, but then she wasn't used to alcohol and the graveyard of bottles confirmed that she had drunk a great deal.

In the bathroom she washed her face with water and tried to recover her state of mind. She needed to keep a cool head, needed to recover her senses. She knew Jimmy wouldn't do anything forceful, but men had a tendency to make their affections known and the office was already awkward as it is. Promising to listen to Tony in future, she came out of the bathroom and found Jimmy waiting for her.

"You look pretty unsteady Cap. Want me to call you a cab to take you home?"

A gentleman, a decent officer. She didn't know why she had been worried.

X

As they walked outside the bar, two black and whites zipped past on the road. Jimmy turned to her and passed her the bottle of water that he had bought, knowing exactly what she had in mind. Gulping as much of it down as she could, they started to jog to where the police cars had gone. There, they found a crime scene with a dead woman in the middle of the road, a bullet hole in her forehead and a great deal of blood on the scene. There was no arrest being made, just a discovery of a fresh corpse. At the sight of the body, Sharon started to shake and it wasn't just the blood.

Wendell was on the scene, and he saw Sharon and Jimmy hovering behind the tape. He said something to the coroner and went over to them. He ignored Jimmy and held her good shoulder, pushing her away from the scene.

"Sharon, go home."

She tried to look over to the scene, her body still trembling. It was in a dark part of town, a cheap area with plenty of innocent cannon fodder. The scene was almost a tableau. "Dead civilian?"

"Yes. But shot by another civilian, no need for an FID presence. Go home, _sober up _and let us take care of this. Take her home Sergeant Beatie."

Jimmy put an arm around Sharon and pulled her away from the scene almost forcefully. She definitely did not want to go. She didn't say anything in the cab on the way to her house, and she stopped and paid the driver when they were about a block from her house. The walk seemed to do her good, and she had stopped being so stiff when they had reached the door.

"Captain, I had a great time tonight. It was great to get to know you better, and to just hang out on a semi professional basis. Sleep well," Jimmy said, keeping his speech measured. His affection had stopped being so frontal, and he had retreated to being his good Sergeant self. She was in a numb little world, having flashbacks of crime scene photos. As he reached over to pat her on her good shoulder, she reached over and grabbed his shirt, pulling his mouth to hers in a drunken advance that she didn't understand, but nothing else in her head seemed to make sense either.

She had never really given any consideration about what kissing Jimmy would be like, he had always been too young to even be considered, and she had always thought that work romances would be stupid and foolhardy. He kissed like a nervous little boy at first, his mouth moving over hers lightly, not quite believing. They broke apart, her eyes wild with memories and desperation before he gave into the moment and his mouth crashed down upon hers. He dragged his lips over her nerves and he was strong with her in a way that reminded her of the nice side of Sam.

Sharon liked it, the _man_ inside Jimmy although he was still holding back for her sake and she was grateful. He pushed against her, and she wrapped her arms around him, drawing him closer. With every touch of his mouth on hers she felt more awake, more alive. She didn't stop his movements as she felt her jeans hit the floor, his hands moving her thighs. This was just the same as the last one night stand she had had in a desperate urge to disassociate, a need to run away. However, as his hands grazed her shirt and went to move up her back, the image of her and Will's first time flashed before her and she realised she was making a big mistake that even her inebriated self could not deal with. Sharon pushed him away with all her might, shoving him against the front door, hard enough to make noise and shock both of them.

"Sharon…"

She stood there shaking, wanting to cry. Alcohol was a dangerous thing, and coupled with emotional flashbacks and she was vulnerable, desperate and a teenager wanting to screw the world in several directions. She pulled her t-shirt back down to her waist, and looked at Jimmy. "Please leave."

He shook his head and put one hand up, not moving any closer. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…."

"Just go."

She felt bad for Jimmy, but at that moment she didn't care, just needed to get away from him. Shaking, she closed the front door behind him and moved upstairs, walking into the bathroom. Sitting in the tub, she switched the water on full blast and let the cold spray wake her up completely, masking her tears as she cried.

It felt like hours, but had only been about twenty minutes. She found the cordless phone on her bedside table and, dripping wet; she returned to the bathtub and called Will.

"_Hello?"_

"Will it's me. I need you, can you please come over?"

_"Sharon are you okay? Did Jimmy do anything to you?"_

She gulped, not wanting to think about how hollow she felt. "No, I mean we kissed but I just…I need you Will. Please."

She heard him consider the options, and she remembered that Caitlin was sick. Sharon didn't want him to leave Caitlin alone, but she needed his comfort and his love right that minute. _"Caitlin's just gone to sleep; I can ask my neighbour to look after her for an hour. I'll be right there Sharon, just don't do anything stupid."_

She already had, and it was making her tremble. As she waited for Will, she realised she needed to tell him some truths, get things out in the open because it was haunting her every move.

X

She could hear him as he opened the door to her house and called her name. She heard the drop of a jacket or a bag and then the pounding of his feet on the stairs. When she saw him, she felt like she was going to cry all over again, she had never felt so happy in all her life.

He took her in, soaking wet in the bath tub and wearing very little. Will reached down and grabbed her hand, taking it within his own and pulled her out and straight into his arms. He looked at Sharon; her face filled with tears and ran a finger down the skin, wiping away as many tears as he could with that one touch, that look of love that he possessed. Her trousers were gone, left downstairs but her shirt was still there. He reached around her waist tenderly and held her within his arms. Her thick brown hair rested on her shoulders, and he moved the locks away so she could rest comfortably in the nook of his shoulder.

"I'm such an idiot."

He moved her away and grinned at her, running his hands over her face. She looked so sad, so sincere but there was an edge of happiness to her face, a smile lingering on her lips.

"You're not an idiot. What happened?"

"I got freaked out by something, I kissed Jimmy without really thinking and he started kissing me. He then reached around my back and found my scars and…my brain woke up. And I needed you."

He kissed her cheek, fumbling over her skin. She closed her eyes at the contact, trembling at the feeling of him so close to her. Sharon lifted her chin slightly and he kissed her nose, deliberately moving away from her mouth. She reached around his waist and moved him to her so their foreheads were resting together, moving in solemn harmony.

"Sam…was my ex husband, not just my boyfriend. We got married, in Vegas of all places."

His arms tightened around her, comforting her. "I don't need to hear this." It wasn't the right time, wasn't the right place and he didn't want to know. He just wanted her to be okay, and he wasn't sure whether that was going to happen anytime soon.

They were still in her bathroom, her half naked and him freezing from ripping his coat off downstairs. She took his hand in his and they swayed together, moving slowly to the quietness of the Los Angeles neighbourhood. They continued to dance together in the small room, oblivious to the truth, to the fiction they had created around themselves. Everything with Jimmy melted away to just the two of them and their bare emotions.

"My Dad was a cop."

"I know."

They continued to sway until Will pushed her up against the doorframe of the bathroom, dragging his mouth over her lips. He wanted to shut her up, to keep her quiet and to still the rush of movement they both were feeling. He didn't want her to spill something she would regret later, and as the kiss stopped she rested her head on his shoulder, clinging onto his upper arm.

"He…he was on a case and there was some shadows and he pulled his gun out."

His movements stilled, and he waited for her to continue.

"He shot a woman. He shot an ordinary woman. She had a family, three kids and she owned a small pastry shop. That's why we moved to New York, because my father was crucified by the LAPD."

He held her as her legs collapsed under her, and she slid to the bathroom floor.


	13. Chapter 13

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings._

**Chapter Thirteen**

_She wondered sometimes where her mother was. _

_Not in any great detail of course, all she had of the woman were a few photographs and pleasant stories her father had told her. No actual memories apart from a fleeting glimpse one day. But when she saw mothers in cafés, on the street, at notifications, she wondered what her own was doing. Would she have children, would she have brothers and sisters? Nieces and nephews? It was something she thought about when she looked at the photos of Will and his family. Will's father had been dead ten years, but his mother was still up and around, going on eighty. He had one brother and an older sister, and plenty of nieces and nephews. _

_She didn't have many family photographs. Her and Ben, her and Annie, her and her father from decades ago. Nothing recent. _

_She had thought about what she would be like as a mother. She had only been pregnant once and had never had that chance to enjoy it, to eat whatever she wanted and talk about names and the future with someone she loved. Sam had never known she had been pregnant with the dead foetus she called Michael. She would never know if she would have been a good parent, like her father had been, or a bitch like her mother. Whatever alternate realities held for her and her possible children, she knew in this one that the love between her and Sam would have disintegrated into dust, mixed in with blood: her blood. _

_Will's family was broken, true, but the half he had been left by Estelle had been made into a whole. She wanted to be part of it, part of their family gatherings and trips and meals on birthdays. She wanted to be adopted by his family more than anything she could think of. It was normal, something she had never really known. Although her mother had left her and her father with a half, it hadn't made a whole as his father's heart was still missing - Faye Raydor had taken that with her. All that woman had left behind was broken glass and her sea green eyes under a mass of brown hair. _

_Her maternal side came out with the officers under her command - throwing looks towards Claudia's lit cigarette and letting Simon talk about his family on the roof of the LAPD. However in the intervening years between Sam and losing Michael and now with Will and his family she had never thought about starting her own. It wasn't the lack of partners; it was the lack of enthusiasm for a family. It had never been ingrained into her that she needed to have 2.4 children, and she didn't feel the call like others did. _

_All she wanted was for someone to love her for who she was._

X

For the first time in the many years he had known her, Will had not listened to Brenda Leigh Johnson and had decided to do something that _he _wanted to do. Caitlin had recovered quickly from her throat infection; she was still sore but she took her medication without any arguments. As a reward for her being a brave girl and Brendan getting good grades at school, he was taking both of them to New York for a few days to see the sights and to see actual snow.

"Dad I can't find Hannah!" Caitlin wheezed, and Will moved away from the kitchen table to go search for his daughter's doll. They managed to find it having a tea party with some of her brother's Transformers.

Outside they packed his Crown Vic with their luggage. The two of them were excited; they rarely went on holidays with him, instead going with their mother so he could still work. But if things with Sharon had taught him anything, it had taught him that he was still needed at home, and there were two beautiful children who wanted that love he gave.

As he buckled their seatbelts and made sure their magazines and sweets were out of reach until they got on the plane, Will saw a figure coming up his driveway. Sharon was wrapped up warm for the weather; she looked very unlike a police officer in her outfit, which was surprising considering it was a Monday. She looked beautiful.

"Hey."

"Hi," Sharon said, crossing her arms over herself. There was not an inch of skin visible, unlike the last time he had seen her. They had called each other every day, her telling him the best places to go in New York, and him telling her about how the kids were. She saw the kids in the car and gave them a wave. "Hey guys, you excited?"

"Definitely! We're going to see the Empire State building and go skating and play Frisbee in Central Park!"

Sharon smiled. "May be a bit cold for Frisbee in the park, but there is a great ice cream stand near there that does the most delicious chocolate ice cream. Tell them my name, you'll get half price," she winked and Brendan giggled.

Will took her elbow and they walked around to the front of the car where he leaned a little on the bonnet and smiled. He dug around in his pocket until he found the spare key and gave it to her. "You know where everything is, just remember no crazy parties. I think I may have a plant somewhere."

"It'll be in that wreck you call a study."

He snorted before standing up, moving close to her. "If there is a plant in there, can you water it?" Will smiled, looking at Sharon blush as his hands rested lightly on her waist.

In one of their phone conversations they had decided to go a little slower with things then they had done the year before. Will was going to let Sharon tell him about her at her own pace, and she was going to have to stop biking until her shoulder was fully rested. Give and take. Maybe that was what had been missing from his marriages and his relationships - the actual relationship bit. Jean and him had fallen in love in college, and had married and quickly started to have a family. Estelle had been an affair and they had rushed into marriage. He had finally realised that Sharon needed slow; she didn't need to be thrown in head first. She had had that with Sam, and look how that turned out.

"I'll see you in about a week. Don't kill Brenda," Will whispered, squeezing Sharon's shoulder and waving goodbye. He got into the car and looked at Sharon standing in his driveway, watching apprehensively as he started to get ready to go. He could look at her forever, she was his beautifully damaged woman, and he wanted to be the glue that kept her together.

Thinking that fumes from the car must have got to him because he was spouting poetic crap, he put the keys in the ignition. Caitlin tapped him on the shoulder, looking at him with a frown her mother would be very proud of.

"Dad, you're forgetting something."

She pointed in the direction of Sharon and grinned. The Captain herself was looking confused as to why they weren't moving, and Will realised what his daughter wanted. "Brendan, cover your eyes, mushy stuff coming up."

He opened the car door and jogged the few steps to Sharon. His hand went around her waist and he pressed his lips to hers, relishing the surprise before the familiarity of kissing her took over all his senses. His hand stroked her cheek as he sucked on her bottom lip, relishing the little moans she was making. He let her go, running his thumb across her lower lip.

"I'll see you in a week. Meet us at the airport?"

Sharon smiled and kissed him on the nose. "I wouldn't miss it. Have a safe flight Will. Bye kids!"

Will pulled away from the house, watching her wave them goodbye. His heart felt heavy as he drove away, and he could see the two kids in the back seat watching Sharon. He felt like she should be coming with them, but he didn't want to rush things anymore. They had all the time in the world, and he wanted things to be perfect.

X

Sharon was numb as she walked into Parker Centre. She just kept feeling Will's lips pressed against hers, the weight of his body and the loving tone in which he spoke. She ignored the looks of the officers as she walked past; she always seemed to get them these days. Maybe it was because she wasn't wearing her typical suits, she was still wearing what she had been on Will's drive. She hadn't been able to go home and change; thankfully there was a change of clothes in her locker.

"Hey Captain."

Jimmy was sitting at his desk, seemingly waiting for her. There was no one else around, so she brought over Claudia's chair and sat by him.

"I think we need to talk."

He nodded and started to speak. "I'm sorry if I went too far with the kiss. I didn't mean to upset you Captain, I respect you and I _like _you. But I value you as a commanding officer and a friend more than I would ever do as a….person of romantic interest."

Sharon smiled at his tone, and patted his hand. "You're such a sweet guy Jimmy, and you deserve someone just as sweet. I…I wouldn't date a fellow officer, it's not professional and it impacts on your work too much." He continued to nod, and Sharon squeezed his hands. "You didn't do anything wrong, we both had a little too much to drink and when I realised exactly what I was doing, I had to stop. I didn't really like myself in that moment."

She stood up to go, but found that Jimmy was still holding onto her hand. "I should never have taken advantage of you when you were drunk."

"I know you'd never hurt me Jimmy, its fine." It was. Everything was fine now in her little world, or it would be on Sunday when Will came back. Things had returned to the calm she enjoyed. Sharon tried to ignore the little voice that was saying 'the calm before the storm'.

"I know, I just…"

She patted his hand and put it down on the desk beside him. "Don't worry about it, chalk it up to experience. Come on, let's get back to work. Where are the others?"

Jimmy didn't answer her; he was lost inside his own thoughts. Sharon knew she had done the right thing, had been essentially honest with him about her feelings and the way she dated. She had enough problems with in-house issues to put a relationship on top of it. Will was different - being the Chief of Police meant he only had the Chief to answer to, and he was supposed to have a very direct relationship with Internal Affairs. It wasn't sex, it was….definitely love. Of course their work had suffered because of their break up before, but Sharon was trying to look on the positive.

"Captain?" It was Tony at her door not looking particularly amused.

"What's up?"

He looked down at the floor and then back up at her like he was loathing having to do this. "Chief Johnson needs to see you. They've got this case they need your help on; I don't know the specifics, they wouldn't tell me."

Sharon rolled her eyes and got up from her chair. Jimmy came out from the office and they walked down to Major Crimes together. Claudia and Simon met them half way, but they too had no idea what was going on. As they entered, everything looked the same. Except…the atmosphere had changed. The landscape had changed. Sharon had the sensation she was standing on quicksand.

Then she looked over at the board and she froze. The murder she and Jimmy had seen last week was up, spread over the whiteboard like a virus. Crime photos that looked so familiar, photos of evidence but no gun. And then Sharon looked to the other side of the board and saw what she had been desperately dreading. Photos she had looked over, watched over to make sure they didn't get into the wrong hands and now they were up on _that _board, displayed for the entire world to see. There was a service picture, and a photo that they had had on the mantelpiece when they had lived in LA.

Her carefully structured house of cards came tumbling down.

"Ah Captain Raydor, just the person I wanted to see. We've got a case we could really use your help on, and we were wondering if you'd be able to!" Brenda announced with her cheery disposition, but it didn't fool Sharon. She knew exactly what was going on, and it was entertaining her more than reading her file ever would have done.

It took her a few seconds to get her head around what was being said. She needed to focus. "Of course Chief, go ahead."

Sharon stood there, surrounded by her officers and tried to look strong. But she could feel her knees weakening. Flynn and Provenza deliberately had their backs turned. She could see them shaking with laughter in their seats.

"Well, a woman was murdered last week in downtown Los Angeles. Originally the case went to Robbery Homicide as it wasn't a 'Major' Crime. But, someone in the Cold Case unit recognised the similarities between this case and a shooting in 1974."

Simon and Claudia nodded, and Sharon could see the wheels going around in their head. Why were they needed? What game was Brenda playing? They spent enough time in that damn freezer, why couldn't they be the lucky bastards to find this out?

"I don't…I don't see why I'm needed Chief," she said, experimenting with the words on her tongue. Her voice was losing its impact, everything was seizing.

Brenda handed her a file and sat experimentally on Provenza's desk. He didn't even make a noise, he was that wrapped up in his humiliation of her. Sharon opened up the file and saw the crime scene pictures that she knew so well, they might as well be an old case of hers.

"The reason why I need you here is about the original 1974 case. Back then, they thought a police officer shot the woman. One of FID's first cases."

She felt Tony and Jimmy gather round her, and she wanted to reach out to grab one of them, to anchor herself. But that would just show weakness, and she couldn't do that. Not with _her. _"As you can see in the file you're holding, the officer in question was a beat cop by the name of Michael Raydor. Any relation to you Captain?"

Tony had tried to hold onto her, but she had taken one step forward instead. She was facing off to Brenda Leigh Johnson, who was relishing every moment of this. "Did you know Michael Raydor, Captain?"

"He was my father."

The laughing from Flynn and Provenza grew intense, and the two of them turned around in the end, eager to face Raydor. Claudia and Simon had backed away slightly, knowing their anger could get them involved in all sorts of trouble. Jimmy looked confused, Tony was on the balls of his feet, as if he was going to rush and complain to the Chief at any moment.

Brenda smiled. "Oh we know that Captain. Were you aware that your father killed a civilian?"

Provenza chuckled from his seat at Flynn's desk. "I think you've got a few father issues there Captain. But it's nice to know that the wicked witch of the west isn't so high and mighty in her red shoes."

Flynn slapped him. "How do you know so much about the _Wizard of Oz_?"

"Can it Flynn."

Sharon took in the scene with surrealism. She couldn't believe it was actually happening - she felt like throwing up. However, she thought about Will and the image of him made her strong. She put both hands on her hips and turned towards Brenda. "I'm sure you are aware then, Chief, that ballistics _proved _that that bullet didn't come from my father's gun."

That knocked the smile off of Flynn and Provenza, but not for very long. "Forensics is only half the battle, Captain. The same bullet was used in both crimes, we're pretty sure of that and forensics is testing that right now. But since its been over thirty five years and your fathers gun isn't available for testing then we have no proof except the original forensic report and we're not sure if that's gonna hold up in court."

She had poured over the original report so many times, had reread the letter the LAPD had sent her father after he had been fired and blackballed from the police service. As much as Sharon knew that Chief Johnson was using it as an excuse to persecute her father and herself, Sharon knew that evidence that long ago was wary, and worrying. If they did find the killer, then his lawyer could use that against their case even if their other potential suspect could not be charged.

"If you could join us in the interview room in about fifteen minutes I'd love to ask you some questions about your father," Brenda announced, moving over to talk to Flynn.

"Will I need a lawyer?"

She looked up at Sharon and smiled. "If you think so."

As Sharon left, she could see Wendell watching the scene with trepidation. She didn't know what was going on, but she hoped that he would bat for her, and for his old partner.

X

Tony had ran to get Deputy Chief Stephen Mitchell, and Sharon was sitting in her office trying to calm herself down. She had expected things to go wrong when they had found out what her father had apparently done, but she had not calculated their hatred of her into things. Sharon knew that her father wouldn't have shot the woman, but that was a daughter blind to her father's faults. Everything she did in FID was for _him. _She was worried.

She wondered whether he was through security or if he had made it onto the plane. Either way, Sharon dialled the number and waited for Will to pick up.

_"Hello?"_

"It's me. Major Crimes took on that case similar to my Dad's FID one. Brenda is interviewing me to figure out whether my father killed that woman in ten minutes and I am freaking out."

She hated not being strong, letting weakness through. But issues with her father had never been clear cut - he had made her strong but his passing had made her cordon off her heart. Over the years she had become much stronger; but now she was suddenly a thirteen year old girl, finding her father on the porch with a bottle of whiskey half empty.

_"Do you want me to come back? Because I will, you know that."_

She didn't want him to come back. She wanted to have this time with his children and enjoy New York, even if her heart and body wanted him to rush back from LAX and to hold her. "No. I can handle Brenda, I just need…I just need your support."

She could feel him grinning across the other end of the phone. _"You have it, you know you do. Call me whenever you want, don't feel that you can't baby. As for Brenda…."_

"Don't kill her?" Sharon said, echoing his words from that morning. She had laughed them off at the time, now she was actually considering them.

_"I wasn't going to say that. Now last year I yelled at you for using Stroh but baby this has gone on for far too long. Use Stroh if you have to. This is concerning your father - use hers. She has her own Daddy complex; she needs to have his constant approval. Any man in uniform makes her gooey. If you have to, use me. Keep yourself calm, eat plenty of ice cream and don't let her get under your skin. She's playing to win, to get you out. You still there?"_

She had been enjoying the smooth timbre of his voice and ignoring everything else. "I am. Use Daddy, use Stroh. And use you - haven't I been doing that?" she laughed weakly.

_"I don't mind being a human sex toy as long as it makes you smile. Damn, the plane is boarding. Call me Sharon; I'm going to miss you. Keep your chin up baby, I love you."_

And then he was gone, leaving her alone. She breathed out, and then there was a knock on the door. Stephen was there, looking at her with a fury she knew wasn't meant for her.

"Come on, let's deal with the dicks."

X

The corridors were clear as they walked the short distance from the FID offices to the Major Crimes interrogation rooms. The door was opened by a very smug looking Flynn, and Sharon had to resist the urge to punch him. That wouldn't look good, not good at all.

Brenda was sitting there with a notepad and pencil in front of her, and of course her standard giant purse. Gabriel was riding shotgun on the interview, and Sharon was glad it wasn't someone who _knew _her. Of course this meant that Flynn and Provenza were most likely in the surveillance room with popcorn. Mitchell sat opposite Brenda, shifting the power balance. Like Johnson he was also a Deputy Chief. Despite being head of Internal Affairs he was given respect because pissing him off led to you out of a job. The man was feared and revered in equal measure.

"So, this interview is starting on the twenty fifth of January, two thousand and ten. Present are officers Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, Sergeant David Gabriel and Deputy Chief Stephen Mitchell representing Captain Sharon Raydor. Shall we begin?" She had done the formalities, now it was time to move onto the juicy stuff.

Brenda wrote a note on her pad and turned to Sharon who was sitting across the table from her. "Captain Raydor, your father is Michael Raydor, correct? Who worked for the LAPD up until 1974 until he was discharged for using his firearm on a civilian?"

"Yes, that's correct."

She wrote another note. "How old were you when you left LA? You had to be what, thirteen, fourteen?"

"Thirteen."

"I see." Another note. She was warming up to the hard stuff. "That must be very hard for a thirteen year old. Having to up root yourself and go right across the country to New York."

Sharon fiddled with the edge of her sleeve. She had to admit that her technique was good, she knew her way around an interview, getting the tone right to appear trustworthy to the person on the other side of the table. "We lived in New York when I was small, my father had family there."

"Why did you move to Los Angeles then?"

"To get the fuck away from my Mother. She wouldn't leave New York, and he didn't want to see the woman he loved raising another man's kids across the street. That answer your question?" The swearing had thrown Brenda off guard - she had been expecting a measured, emotionless response about weather and career prospects. Brenda Leigh Johnson may have been taught the ways of an interview by the CIA, but she had been taught linguistics by Chomsky - she knew more about the meaning behind each word than Brenda could ever hope to.

"Okay then. So you moved to New York. I couldn't find your file to check some facts…"

"Water damage."

Brenda smiled, not sure what _that _meant, but to her it meant that she had to rely on other peoples notes. "I was talking to Chief Berrill after you left and he explained that your father had passed away."

"Two years after we moved back."

"I'm sorry for your loss," and the strange thing was, Sharon was actually sure she meant it. There was no malice, no cruel sympathy behind the words. _Actual _sympathy, actual regret. "After your father passed away, did you go stay with your mama?"

Mitchell coughed, and Sharon knew that they weren't exactly focussing on the crime at hand. But she was going to look at it positively and see if she could shift Brenda's sympathy. She wondered how she felt about the care system, wondered if she could use that to her advantage. "My mother didn't want me; my Grandmother had passed away some time before. I was put into care until I turned eighteen. Now could we get back to the shooting my father was framed for please?" she smiled, brushing past the issue of her care and moving on. The pace was unsettling and as Brenda's eyes matched hers the woman knew she was being played.

"Okay then Captain. Tell me, what was Michael Raydor like as a father? Did he drink, womanise?" She was trying to get a rise out of her by ruining her father's memory. It wasn't going to happen. Time to use one of Will's tips.

"My father was a great man, Chief. He was a wonderful police officer, a wonderful father. He seldom drank and if he did have sexual partners he never brought them home. Every Saturday he would take me to a baseball game, he would help me with my homework. With my father I never felt like I had to…like I had to gain his approval. I already had it from being his Sharon. I worked hard at school, I learnt how to ride and hit balls because I loved it and he loved it too, not so I could impress him. He impressed me, by being the person I needed when I was in trouble, when I was upset. I miss him every single day. You don't know how much."

Brenda was unsettled, she had been thinking about her own father, which made Sharon's job complete. But it still didn't stop her hands from shaking. She was, too, thinking about her own father, which wasn't what was supposed to happen. But she did miss him, missed his advice and his friendliness and his love of eating the pizza topping first and then the base.

"People lose parents, Captain. And like I said earlier, I am sorry for your loss."

"I don't expect you to understand Chief; your family is still in one lovely Georgian piece. And tell me, how many children lose their parents at fifteen?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure I could run up the statistics for you Captain. You're not an enigma, you're not special. You're a very sad number."

"Could we deal with the 'murder', please Chief. Captain Raydor has been very helpful so far, and I think you could be a little more sympathetic considering it's the anniversary of her father's passing on Saturday. You've got thirty year old ballistics that says he didn't shoot the woman and you've got a chip on your shoulder that is saying he did."

"That's _Chief_ Johnson."

"I'm sorry, what I think you meant to say is "That's Deputy Chief Johnson, _Deputy Chief _Mitchell". Same rank, although I think I'm paid a bit more than you are. Get back to your interview."

Another note on the pad and Sharon was getting bored. They ran through a few routine questions about his work, partners and whether her father had seemed suspicious around the time of the shooting. Halfway through, Tao came into the interview room and whispered something in Brenda's ear. She smiled.

"We were concerned that we may be making a mountain out of a molehill, could be two unconnected shootings. But we put a rush on the forensics, and it's just come back. The bullet used in the woman last week matches the bullet we have on file for the death in 1974. We're trying to track down your father's gun, but until then I'm afraid we're just going to have to follow all lines of enquiry. Now - back to your father."

"What about him?" Sharon replied coldly.

"The night the woman was killed, your father was at the scene, we've got witnesses. Of course, his partner was at the other end of town. That's the real sticking point; your father's beat was down on the beach by…Otto's deli. So what was he doing there?"

"I don't know."

Brenda looked at her notes. "You said earlier that your father may have had sexual relationships but he didn't bring any of them home. Could he be doing that that night? Sleeping with someone in a tacky motel room so he didn't have to tell his daughter?"

The idea slithered across Sharon's skin and made her squirm. Her father may have had relationships; she had seen none of them. There was no stepmother for her to grow to love, no constant stream of girlfriends. Just the two of them. "I don't know. He never said anything to me."

Brenda placed the photo of the woman that had been killed thirty six years ago in front of Sharon. She was pretty, ran her own business and had three children. One day Sharon had run away from the small home that she lived in. She had fought with Abigail the night before, Harry looking on exasperated. Sam had given her some money and he had driven her to Washington DC. She had bought a plane ticket to California from there, harder for Harry and Abigail and the NYPD to trace her. She had landed in Los Angeles and tracked down the family, wanting to see them.

The kids were ten, thirteen and sixteen. It had been four years since their mother had died, and they seemed to be coping. She watched them at their house, at their High School until a police officer had asked her what she was doing. If that police officer hadn't been a detective named Wendell Berrill, Sharon wasn't sure what would have happened to her.

"She was married, but maybe she knew your father? Maybe they were having an affair, and when she tried to break it off, he killed her? As you said earlier, his relationship with your mother was bitter; maybe he couldn't handle another break? Couldn't find the perfect mother for his perfect little Sharon."

Her fingers were itching to slap the smug grin off of her face. Her father wouldn't…he just wouldn't. Mitchell could see her hands were shaking and gripped hers. "That is a wonderful theory Deputy Chief Johnson; I would love to see some evidence. The only problem with it is that as your officer told you, the guns match. And Michael Raydor has been dead for thirty four years. Unless he faked his death, or he's a _zombie_, I doubt very much he killed the woman last week. This interview is over, you're using this case to further your vendetta against Captain Raydor and I won't allow it."

Mitchell helped Sharon up from her chair as much as he could, and she felt better standing up. She looked at Brenda, who although mildly chastised still looked like the cat who had got the canary. "I just have one more question - how does it feel to have such a big stick up your butt?" Brenda was packing away the papers, happy with finally getting to say what she wanted to Sharon's face.

Gabriel stifled a chuckle next to her, but Sharon had had enough. She wasn't going to put up with this crap about her father, especially not from Brenda Leigh Johnson. "Oh it feels wonderful. How does it feel to have Chief Pope's up yours?"

She slammed the door of the interview room on her way out.

X

She had let herself into Will's office and was sitting on the floor next to the heater, breathing in the smell of Will's cologne. The interview had shaken her more than she thought it would. Although she had got the last word in, Brenda had done her job in slipping in the idea of fear, the idea of her not so perfect father. Michael pre shooting had meant the world to her. When he had come home that night he had been taken over by a changeling.

Sharon felt for the gun at her waist and pulled it out of her holster. Once the ballistics had proved that her father's gun hadn't shot the woman, his gun was put into rotation. It was old but still good, and she was sure Flynn and Provenza were tracking it down now. They would have a hard job -apparently the gun belonged to some kid down in North Hollywood division. They didn't know, nobody but her did, that she had switched the guns when she had been safe within the LAPD cycle. She now had her father's old gun on her hip, one of the few pieces of him she had left.

She wanted to give it to them, to prove that her father hadn't killed the woman. She knew that the guns matching meant someone else had shot the two women. But she was afraid that to dig any deeper into this case would reveal a darker side to her father than the one she had experienced in their last two years together in New York. Sharon Raydor was terrified about what she might find.


	14. Chapter 14

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings._

This chapter has been edited from the original LJ posting due to 's policy on MA ratings. Feel free to check out the original at my Livejournal.

**Chapter Fourteen**

_She'd seen it on the discovery channel, people who took such big risks that life was a big game of _Operation_. Sky divers, shark swimmers, those who lived in jungles and had pet spiders that with one bite could kill you. _

_She had never been _that _sort of adventurous. Had never left America, as much as she might have wanted to. When she was a kid she had watched the television and dreamed about going on holiday to Africa or Australia, being as hot as Los Angeles but with more exotic creatures than spoiled celebrities. As a teenager she had wanted to do the whole European experience, drink in British pubs, taste French cuisine, make love on Italian sheets. She had wanted to see the world on her Dad's bike. The closest she had ever come was a ride through America. Her bike, Sam's bike and the open road, stopping off for a little food, a lot of fuel and the occasional job until they reached Vegas where they got married - the riskiest thing she ever did. _

_That and leaving Sam. _

_Being on her bike was a risk, and when she had competed in races along the dusty roads in Nevada she knew that every turn could cost her her life. One race she had been going down at such a speed, trying to beat a cocky newbie to the punch. There was an accident up ahead due to some slow coaches on the track. She had swerved off, needing to get her bearings. The newbie had gone straight ahead into the mess, had caught his wheel on a piece of scrap metal and his bike had gone straight forward into one of the injured drivers. She had been a wreck for days after that, eventually seeking solace in Sam's bed and not leaving it for a week. _

_Racing had never been the same for her. _

_She wondered if Will knew what it was like to live dangerously, explicitly. Of course he had had affairs, but that seemed just the natural part of who he was, what he had grown up with, the country-club-you've-got-to-have-a-mistress-to-be-part-of-it sort of thing. He'd had affairs with two women; three if you counted someone he had made have an affair. She wondered if he had seen the world, if the Student Body President had gone travelling before meeting Jean at Yale. Or whether having children and being a father was the most risky thing he had ever done. _

_She thought about him, thought about what they could do when this was all over. Maybe they could go on a holiday across to Europe, taking the kids and Ben and Annie with them to a villa in France, or Italy. See the world like she had never got to do. Maybe she could teach Tommy how to ride properly, the tricks and the trade and watch the son she would never have follow in her racing footsteps. _

_It was interesting how despite not knowing how this week would end with her father, not knowing how things would end with her and Will and not knowing his kids that long at all that she had already started thinking of their lives together. _

_But then Tommy had written her a postcard from Harvard, saying that he missed her, his father and siblings and the bright sun of home, and she felt like part of a family. _

X

Fritz watched his wife stare at the whiteboard she had bought for their spare bedroom. Not the cot he had had in mind, but it was something she loved probably even more than a baby. She had pinned the pictures of Michael and Sharon Raydor up, and the two victims. She was trying to make connections, but she was struggling.

"Need any help honey?" He wrapped an arm around her, looking at the board.

"No, I don't think you can. I'm trying to figure out what they've got in common, these two women but apart from the way they died I've got zip. Even pinning it on Raydor's father isn't making any sense, he's been dead for decades and there is no logical way that he knew the first woman, or the second!"

He watched her throw the pens away and sit on the end of their bed, pouting. The case was getting to her, less than the Stroh case had done but more than some. The old case had been a potential link to the killer, but that had just been a dead end. He hated seeing her distraught, especially when it was due to the job. He sat down next to her and let her rest her head on his shoulders.

"Where is it, the shooting I mean?"

"Downtown near that new club. Wrong side of town for Michael Raydor, why the hell was he there?"

"Hybrid neighbourhood, you got the new stuff that's raking in big bucks run by the same guys who run the streets. Maybe Raydor was looking at that, helping people out or scoring things off of them."

Brenda stood up and Fritz wished he hadn't said anything. She had been struck by some linking thought that was going to be no good for anyone, except maybe for the case. He stood up and continued to mimic her journey. That was when some of the crime scene shots caught his eye.

"Damn, this is Broker's neighbourhood," he muttered.

Brenda looked at him confused. "Broker? Who is Broker?"

Fritz wondered if the only time Brenda would pay attention to his job would be if she had a gang case, or one of their suspects crossed over. Or if she needed the FBI badge, as she had done on quite a few occasions. He sighed and went over to his briefcase where he pulled out a file and handed it to Brenda.

"Sam Broker. He's a gang leader, not a nice guy by any stretch of the imagination. His gang is not so much a gang but a cartel. They're smart criminals, they launder money in small doses so we don't see it, they keep away from drugs and always answer the FBI's questions."

Brenda looked at him curiously. "Apart from the money laundering, why have you got such a big old file on him?"

"Because people keep disappearing, and we don't know where they go."

Brenda took the file from him and looked at it. There were profiles and surveillance reports and newspaper clippings. The pictures matched the ones at the crime scene, and Brenda's mind started to race with thoughts and connections. "This is his territory?"

"Yeah. No other gang will touch it, Broker and his friends have been there for nearly thirty years, they're one of the oldest gangs in Los Angeles. And the most dangerous - they've had a lot of time to perfect things, a lot of time to put cops in their pockets. If anyone knows anything, it'll be Broker."

She looked at the picture staring back at her and wondered if this was a lead, or leading her to a whole heap of trouble.

X

He hated LAX. He hated the cold feel of the airport just as much as he hated the warm perfection of the passengers. He didn't like Los Angeles and the glossy image, but he got the same looks at Harvard, the same paltry glances in D.C. They all wanted to be glossy movie people with airbrushed looks and famous jobs drinking throughout the day and partying to the early hours of the morning. If he had expected to get something different at university he had been very much mistaken. The professionalism was still there, but there were still parties, still drinking, still co-eds with wet t-shirts who put out if you told them that you loved them.

Tommy Pope looked upon the city of Los Angeles with disdain, but then he viewed the world that way. Nothing was ever right, nothing was ever perfect. Everything was sordid, self destructive. Even the medicine they were teaching him was polluted with the self justification of surgeons and the Latin names they spoke instead of the usual, everyday terms was just another excuse for superiority.

He hitched a ride to his father's house, wanting to take a different route than a cab. He didn't say anything to the driver, and they seemed glad to drop him off close to his father's house. He was just happy to be out of the suffocating world that was all just a replay of the day before. Tommy couldn't return to D.C. to see his mother because it was the same there. Steve wanted to discuss the work he was doing, internships and essays. He wanted his son to be a great doctor like he was, maybe open up their own private practice one day.

What Steve always forgot was that his surname was Pope. And that he wasn't his son.

"Hello?" Tommy asked as he used the key his father had given him years ago to come in. The house was all locked up, not that he expected any different on a Thursday morning. He peered around doors and came in the kitchen, smiling at the fridge. There were tons of drawings covering it; Caitlin was getting an expert at people's faces. A brunette had joined the faces, and Tommy could see instantly who it was a drawing of.

"Well look who it is."

He turned around and saw Sharon. She hadn't changed much, not that she would have done since he saw her at Thanksgiving. Tommy wondered if he had got the postcard he had written her, he hoped she had. He walked over and gave her a hug, relishing the feeling of warmth, of safety. Tommy exhaled. His stormy head was calm now.

"What are you doing back here? I got your postcard, it was so sweet! I'm so glad to see you Tommy," she said, brushing one of his long strands of hair away from his face. Steve wanted him to cut it, he was refusing. It was his own private rebellion, and he was enjoying it.

"I wanted to come home for the weekend; I haven't talked to Dad in a while. Needed a break and it's too far to go home."

She looked at him, confused, watching every move he made as his fingers danced over surfaces, looking in the fridge for a cold drink. He popped the top of one and passed another to Sharon. She sat down and sipped, looking at him the whole time. "Harvard is on the other side of the country. It would take you barely any time to go home to D.C. What's up?"

"Dad at work?" He didn't want to talk about the poisonous atmosphere at home - he trusted Sharon but not with his whole world view, not yet.

"Will's taken Caitlin and Brendan to New York. I…I talked to him last night, they're having fun."

He was happy and he was sad with what Sharon told him. Happy because his father was getting to be the good father, to spend time with Caitlin and Brendan and take them on holidays. Sad because he had never done that with him. There had been the two week customary trip to wherever took their fancy, usually the coast and his father would spend most of that time playing golf or screwing the waitresses. His mother would be at the spa or reading, and he would be left alone.

"That's good, that's really good. Listen…don't tell him I was here, will you? I don't want him to worry."

"Why would he be worried? It's not as if you flew across the country to see your father for the weekend."

She rose to leave; the sound of post had hit the mat. His thumb traced the condensation forming on the drink, and Tommy looked at it, watching them drip onto the pads of his fingers, onto the table. He was hypnotised by the slow movement of the drops until Sharon hit him on the head with the mail.

"When I was your age I drove across the country with my boyfriend, we did some pretty reckless stuff. I didn't have anyone, he didn't have anyone, we just had each other. I didn't go to college until _much_ later. I would say that you're not taking a risk, and that you're going the safe route and that I respect that. But Tommy, you're risking the world by following a path that scares you."

"I _want_ to be a doctor, honestly."

She squeezed his shoulder, looking down at him with a mixture of pity and sympathy. "Tell the truth."

He looked up at her, the words choking on his tongue. He had been trying to avoid the words all this time, but he realised he had to vocalise them at some point:"I hate it. I hate medicine, I hate Harvard, I hate Steve. I hate it all."

His hands started to shake, and that's when Sharon hugged him. He had never been gladder of a person's company in all his life.

X

She expected to be taken to some high and dry warehouse where you could smell metal and blood in the air. Brenda did not expect to be taken to a high priced hotel, where the photo of Sam Broker became flesh in her mind. He was tall, with thick hair and a dark complexion. His suit was dark to match; the woman on his arm was the complete opposite - blonde, petite with blue eyes and long legs. She could feel Fritz' arm tightening on hers.

"That's his wife, Denise. His fourth wife. We can't find any trace of the other three."

It was not even midday and they were drinking hard liquor. They walked up the steps to the lounge area that was empty except for Broker and his associates, and Brenda felt a sense of anticlimax. Maybe she needed to watch less noir films and more true crime. It seemed that Broker and his friends owned the hotel, Fritz hadn't mentioned anything but the way they commanded the staff seemed to suggest they did.

"Can I help you with something?" He spoke with a Spanish tilt, and Brenda resisted the urge to groan. She knew Fritz spoke some Spanish so hopefully he would be able to keep up with what he was saying. She really needed to get around to learning that, she spoke Czech but not the second commonly used language in Los Angeles. She needed more European murders.

"Mr Broker my name is Agent Fritz Howard with the FBI and this is Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson of the LAPD. Mind if we ask you a few questions?"

"Be my guest. Take a seat."

The two people who had been in the seats opposite stood up and moved. Brenda took the seat warily, and Fritz tried not to be too possessive over her. She took the photos of the two women out of her purse and put them down in front of Broker.

"These two women were both murdered in your neighbourhood, the only difference being that there's nearly forty years difference between them. This woman was murdered in 1974, while this woman was murdered last week. I was wondering if you knew of anyone who might be able to help us, whether anyone in your…_organisation _has heard anything."

He took one of the photos and looked at the woman, and then the other. "Why is the FBI and the woman in charge of Major Crimes - I do know who you are Chief Johnson - interested in these two women?"

Brenda pulled the last photograph out of her purse. "The original shooting, a police officer was framed for the murder. We want to know why he was there in the first place and why someone would want to frame him. Despite that, two women were still murdered, and their killer or killers have to face the justice system."

"I see. May I look at the photo of the officer - the one in your hand?" Brenda reluctantly gave him the photo of Michael Raydor. Surprisingly, Broker's face bloomed at the sight of the photograph. His fingers traced the photo with reverence, unlike the regard he had given the two murdered women.

"You know him?"

Broker chuckled. "Yeah, I knew Mickey Raydor. He lived down the block from me back in New York, he was a good guy."

"Then you must know his daughter Sharon."

Broker looked up like he had been given an electric shock. His smile grew wistful, sad. "Haven't seen her for decades, always wondered what happened to her. Mickey's death screwed her up a little."

Brenda couldn't repress the snort, and Fritz gave her a warning look. If Broker had noticed their little exchange, he didn't say anything about it. He was too busy staring at the photograph of Mickey Raydor. "I'll ask around, get back to you. I'm always willing to help the LAPD."

"Thank you very much for your time."

Fritz hauled her out of there as quick as they could. Broker's gaze was piercing, he felt dangerous to her. With her job she visited most of the low lives of the city in the interview room, on her turf. Meeting them on their turf was always a risk, and it always made her feel vulnerable. Like a mouse heading for a trap, not knowing where they lay.

It was an underestimate to say that Sam Broker worried her.

X

"It's beautiful; I don't think I've ever seen anything so…captivating."

Sharon chuckled as she watched Tommy work over her bike, examining every catch, ever shine in the metal. She'd finally managed to get it back to full working order after her minor crash, and it was looking as beautiful as the day her father had first bought it. She could see herself like a mirror in Tommy, a young Sharon examining the bike with awe, the possibilities and the openness. Tommy needed that openness, that wide vast space that she had been given openly.

"You want to ride it?"

"Can I?"

"Passenger only till I see a bike licence," Sharon winked.

She pulled down the garage door and made sure everything was locked up. She threw him a helmet and they got on the bike together, Tommy wobbling a little until he adjusted to it. Sharon started the bike and sped away out of her drive and down onto the streets of Los Angeles. She remembered that Will had still not been with her on a ride: when he got back she would force him onto the bike. She wanted to feel free with him.

They drove through busy streets until they reached the coast and they slowed down to admire the ocean. As a child her father would put her up front and they would see the beach in the cold weather through a visor. She began to shake a little as she thought about her father and the damages that Brenda Leigh Johnson was making to his memory. A little pressure from Tommy put her on the straight and narrow again, and they continued to feel the wind whip against their faces.

A thought crossed Sharon's mind as they moved back into the city. She made a turn and they headed towards the bar that Jimmy had dragged her to, and the murder scene of both women. They parked the bike and Sharon made sure that the lock was on tight. She rarely parked the bike, so she was worried about it being stolen. It was her father, essentially, encased in metal.

"What are we doing Sharon?" Tommy asked.

"Major Crimes are investigating a case that crosses over with FID. I just wanted to check out the scene for myself."

There was still tape up, and Sharon could see people milling around, not sure what had gone on. There was a small newsagent in the corner, with a man who looked around her father's age. Telling Tommy to stay where he was, Sharon walked over to the man and pulled out her wallet and the picture of her father.

"Excuse me, do you know this man?"

"He missin'?"

"No, he's….he's dead. I just want to know what happened to him. He was around here around 1974."

"A long time to be looking for the truth."

"Not for a daughter," Sharon announced, and the man looked up, smiling slightly at the woman in front of her. She could see family pictures in the little shack, and he followed her gaze. He took the photo of her father and tapped it slightly.

"I don't know anything, apart from that he was trying to help."

"Help what?" Her breath was catching in her throat, she wasn't sure if she was going to like what the man said to her about her father. But she had to hear it.

"Mickey knew some of the race boys, he was a racer y'see. Someone told him that there was trouble in these parts, extortion. He wanted to fix it. He was a cop as well, although not a lot of people knew it. Son of a bitch got mixed up with the wrong people. Not a lot of people around here try and help, you remember the ones who do" he explained, handing her back the photo.

Sharon sighed. "Thank you."

Wrapping her arms around herself, Sharon walked back over to Tommy, who was looking at the crime scene tape with interest. Tommy reminded her of a very young Andy Flynn, and that made her smile. He saw she had returned and gave her a nod. "You find out what you need?"

"Yeah, I did. The FID link is pointless; the guy was trying to do his job and got caught up in a gang war. Guess it's up to Major Crimes now."

They walked back over to the bike, and Sharon unlocked the chain. She felt lighter in herself, knowing that her father wasn't involved in something darker. Her memory of him was still intact. But then there was the issue of the extortion in the first place, and the complications with that. As she gazed over to the crime scene again, her heart started to pound in her ears as she remembered whose territory this was. Years of FID had made her forget the specifics of gang warfare.

"Shit!"

"Sharon?"

Her badge was in her bag, her bike easily recognisable. She wheeled it slowly into the darkness, followed by Tommy. She motioned for him to keep quiet as she watched the man examine the crime scene, look at the sky and the surrounding area. Damn it, she should have kept her eyes wide open.

"Who is he Sharon?"

She tried to breathe calmly. "His name is Sam Broker. He runs a high level cartel in the city, I forgot that this was his territory; he's spread all over now. But it would make no sense for it to be him, the foundations were there but Broker didn't get started until 1980."

Sharon was confused - she had the pieces but she couldn't make them fit into anything resembling the big picture, or even a little one. She knew Tommy wouldn't understand, but she knew someone who would. Taking out her phone, Sharon sent a text and waited until Broker left before kick starting the bike and driving away. The ride home was quiet and slow, and she knew that Tommy could feel the tension in her. She dropped him at his house before returning to her own, her head a flush with questions and her heart racing.

Her flight wasn't until tomorrow night, but she wasn't sure she could wait that long. She needed to be at her father's grave for Saturday, and the sooner the case was dealt with, the better she would feel.

Her theories could crack the case wide open and she could finally put this behind her. Sharon needed to talk to the one member of Major Crimes she trusted.

Her phone rang. Andy was meeting her in an hour.

X

When he came up to her in the police bar, she was nursing a drink. Whiskey and coke, not her favourite drink but one she certainly _could _drink. There was a glass of water waiting for him when he sat down, and he did without snark, without reservation. His demeanour had changed around her, and she wasn't sure why. There was no laughing, no snide comments. This Andy was empty.

"Hey."

"Small talk. Didn't know you did small talk." He shook his head and took a sip of his drink. She didn't even look at hers; it was just something to hold in her hand.

"I went and talked to some people about the case today. Apparently Mickey Raydor was trying to help out some people with extortion - maybe he got caught in a crossfire. It wouldn't have been Broker's group of idiots, it's definitely someone else."

Andy put down his glass and looked at her. She didn't like what she saw, she wondered if he was drinking again. "You said Mickey Raydor. He's your Dad, Sharon, not someone you can remove yourself from. However hard you try."

Maybe it was a mistake to turn to Andy, maybe it wasn't. She pushed over her notes and smiled at him. No one else would take them, and it was an idea that her gut was saying was right. "Andy, once upon a time we were friends. Please do this for me."

"I didn't know your father was dead."

"Yeah, he died when I was fifteen. I went into foster care with a couple who were already fostering another teenager. That's how I met Ben. It's not important, _this _is important."

Andy took the notes and looked over them. Maybe he was upset that they had been close and she had not told him of her father's passing. She hadn't told anyone about it, she hadn't even told Will the details. "The Chief already met Sam Broker today, she's hoping he can come up with something, but this may be the lead we need. We tried to pin it on you or your father, but evidence wouldn't back it up."

Sharon nodded, and they sat each nursing a drink for a moment until she walked away. She had done what she had to do; now she had somewhere else to be. Sharon had changed the tickets; her flight was now leaving tonight. Her bag was in the back seat and she drove to Will's house as quick as she could. Tommy answered the door, looking out of place in his father's home. With his family he felt somewhat at rest there, on his own he was just a stranger in an empty house.

"Hey - you got your flight changed?"

Sharon smiled. "I did. Could you drive me to the airport?"

"Yeah sure," Tommy agreed and locked up the house. They drove in silence until they reached the airport and Sharon got out of the car, reaching over to grab her bag. Tommy grinned at her, thinking about her father's face. "You want me to keep it at ours and pick you guys up on Sunday?"

Sharon shook her head. "Keys are in the ignition, there's some money in the back and some snacks too. Meet us in New York, drive there. You get started now; we'll see you Saturday afternoon. You need some time to think in the quiet, Tommy. Enjoy the drive"

"You'll have to take the car back rather than flying, not a good way to end the weekend"

As she turned around with her bag, Sharon grinned at the young man who had never been given a chance, or a choice. She had the bike. "Keep it."

The flight wasn't as long as she thought it would be, but it was long enough for her to get jittery. As she stepped down from the plane she could feel the New York chill, so different from the warmth of Los Angeles. But New York was always bitterly cold this time of year, and it wasn't always due to the weather. In her pocket were the details of Will's hotel room, and she took a cab to the city centre. It always amazed her how similar and different the cities were, although she always seemed to be running away from one of them.

She double checked the room number and headed up, her body adjusting to New York. Her voice was already slipping a little into the worn tones she had used as a teenager. The lift finally stopped on his floor and she stepped out. She had planned to give him a call to let her know she was in New York on the Saturday and maybe they could meet up on the Sunday. But she needed him to collapse against, surrender to.

They had agreed to go slow, but since divorcing Sam she had never made any true risks. She needed to start. As she knocked on the door and opened it to his beaming smile, she knew she had played her cards right.

Brendan shook his head as he watched Sharon and his father kiss at the door.


	15. Chapter 15

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings._

**Chapter Fifteen**

_New York._

_She's lived in New York for fewer years than she's lived in Los Angeles, and her happiness and her sadness has been equal in both of them. Milestones occurred in both, ranging from the picture perfect moments to the ones where crying in a gutter was the only outcome. There was always something in New York that held her there, the range of temperatures in the city, the range of people. The range of heartbreaks._

_But she knows that it's her father, she can always visit her father when she's in New York. _

_She had her first kiss in New York, fourteen years old with an eighteen year old senior. It was after the Christmas dance, dreams of a tanned skinny freshman coming true when the school bad boy hunk asked her to be his date. Snow falling, Dad and his friends trying not to look out of the curtains, happy music coming from a Christmas party down the street. Eyes closed, chin up, warm lips, bliss. _

_Always a pleasant memory to return to. She loves the smell of snow and motor oil reminding her of that kiss. _

_Softball games, baseball games, track, running in Central Park. High School was a series of routines, never changing, going through the motions. Even memories of kisses and rides on bikes didn't awake the sleeping beauty. Lectures, essays, sleeping in the library, waitressing tables in the café. University was a series of routines, never changing, going through the motions. Even memories of long nights and bright sunshine on the beach didn't awake the sleeping beauty. Hollow, always hollow._

_New York slipped into Los Angeles and the City of Sun became black and white. _

_Ben mentioned it to her from time and time, however she always went through the motions in New York, how she should act. Annie always thought the opposite, that she only came alive in New York, always a zombie in the city of Angels. The Christmas before last, the three of them booked a room in a large New York plaza for a big Christmas with snow and presents and songs. She didn't see her father, wanted to break her routine, and came back on the flight with a block of ice where her heart had been. _

_New York was always cold, and Los Angeles was always hot, but still the ice didn't melt. _

_Every time she came into work, it was like a freezer, making the ice that ran through her veins just a little more solid. The looks her co workers gave her were like cold water, freezing on impact. Sharon didn't know why she wasn't an icicle. She couldn't see why Brenda Leigh Johnson, who was just as big of a bitch as she was, who was vindictive and so concentrated on her goal, wasn't as icy as herself. The ice had melted, due to friends, a good family and a husband who adored her. _

_She had Annie, she had Ben, they had been all she needed for a good long time, so why wasn't her ice melting? She had her brother, her best friend, she had her work colleagues and Otto and his family. Why wasn't she like running water, warm and flowing?_

_Maybe because unlike her associate in Major Crimes, New York had frozen her permanently. She wasn't sure if the feeling of hot lips against the curve of her throat, the warm sensation of someone inside her, the scald of someone holding her as she slept was enough to wake Sleeping Beauty in the real world, in the world of living._

_Will Pope and his family was determined to try. _

X

She woke up to someone kissing her neck. Sharon looked over to see Will's face hovering over her skin, kissing her as lightly as he could. He brushed her hair away from her shoulder, kissing her skin before moving up to kiss her cheeks. It was the best wake up she had ever had in New York.

"Morning."

"Morning."

Sharon was wearing Will's shirt, a plain black cotton affair with barely any buttons done up. That meant that Will could easily get a hold of her skin, squeezing her breasts and cupping her thighs where they met the crease of her hips. She chuckled against him when he caressed every new bit of skin. He could never get enough of her, and she loved his enthusiasm of her when her point of view seemed to crumble.

She rubbed her eyes before turning to Will, brushing his cheeks with her hand.

"You look so beautiful in my shirt," he said, moving down to hold her hand, kissing her knuckles. They had talked last night with the kids, she had told him about the brush with Sam Broker and Tommy's arrival. After the kids had been put to sleep, Will took Sharon to his bedroom and her clothes didn't stay on for very long. She didn't even have time to unpack her suitcase.

"I'd probably look better without it," Sharon giggled, and Will undid another button to get to her breasts; nuzzling her dark, creamy nipples. She was lost in the sensation of Will kissing her peaks, the rough of his hair rubbing against her stomach.

"We should talk," she gasped, not wanting to stop but she knew they had things to discuss. She moved his eyes up to her own, noting the disappointment in them. He was such a child sometimes.

"About what? We were both idiots, we both love each other and we need to be grownups about things. Can we get back to having sex now?" Will asked, whining slightly. He pulled apart another button and kissed the place where her breasts rested against her stomach, licking both her chest and breast. Her mind went as he traced her all over with his mouth, but Sharon managed to push him away and frown at him.

Nodding to her, Will pushed up from the bed and leant against the headboard. He pulled her into his embrace, their hands joining to rest on Will's bare chest. Sharon snuggled against him, enjoying the warmth of his skin. She never wanted to move from this spot.

Taking her time, Sharon thought how best to say what she needed to. "I don't want to break up again - I love you and I want things to settle down. When we get back home, I'm going to tell you everything."

"You don't have to."

"But I want to. I want to be open with you, I don't want to be with anyone else - just you," she whispered. Will looked down at her, and stroked her forehead. "I've never had much luck in love, and you came along and made me feel normal, special. I love you Will, and the last two months have been horrible without you. I realise that my past doesn't matter. Only my future. With you."

He wanted to kiss her, but instead he just pressed his lips against her forehead. He rested his own against hers, his grip tightening around her hand. "I love you Sharon Raydor." Another kiss to her forehead. "Move in with us."

"What?" Sharon whacked him on the arm, not impressed with his joke. However her grip on their hands tightened.

Will looked at her. "I know we said we were going to go slow, but I just can't keep away from you. I hate thinking of you alone in that house of yours. We could move into somewhere new, you could share my bed, I don't care. I don't know what my brain is thinking; I know I just want to spend my life with you."

Sharon smiled and nuzzled his neck. "We'll discuss it when we get back. Maybe I will, maybe we can find somewhere new. Or, you never know, I may get a better offer from someone else…"

Will tickled her, his hands moving up to tickle the inside of her thighs until her giggles turned into low moans. She rested her hand on Will's shoulder. "I just want your kids to like me; I don't want to rush things that they aren't ready for."

He nodded, and brought her up to his level again. "Their mother is never around, and they love you. You get them, get the way they work. Tommy adores you; he came down from Harvard to see you as much as he came down to see me and his brother and sister. I created three amazing things in my two marriages, but both of them went horribly wrong. I don't want to cheat anymore; there is no one who gets my pulse racing like you do. I know you won't cheat, like Estelle. I want to settle down. I can't wait to see what will happen with us."

She moved her head to kiss him, and he consumed her. His hands moved over her behind to her back, clutching him to her and caressing the scars that didn't seem to matter anymore. It was a perfect moment until Caitlin and Brendan rushed into the lounge to watch television.

"You better go see them Will."

He nodded, kissed her cheek and went to find some clothes to put on. He would order room service, make sure they were settled with some cartoons and then talk some more with Sharon. They were going to Central Park later, and the kids were excited over that. Add a dollop of sugar from breakfast and they were going to be a nightmare.

"Oh Will?"

"Yeah?"

Will turned around to see Sharon unbuttoning the last button of his shirt and letting it fall off of her shoulders. He groaned and shook his head. "Just for that, I'm going to stay in there and watch cartoons with them."

Sharon couldn't stop giggling, even when she went out to join them just as breakfast knocked on the door.

X

The whiteboard from home had been transferred to the whiteboard at Parker Centre, and effectively so had her life. She had had the case for four days now, and nothing. No leads, no suspects - the only person she had interviewed had been Captain Raydor, and although that had the delicious relish of justice to it, it now made her feel hollow, disgusted.

Someone had put a fairly recent photograph up of Raydor on the board: it must have been one of her team. She was smiling, holding a drink. It was a side to Raydor that Brenda had never seen before, the human side of her. The words on the back explained that it was from Lieutenant Williams' wedding. They hadn't dug up much about her father or her after they had left Los Angeles - they were having trouble finding a death certificate. Provenza had a conspiracy theory that Daddy dearest was alive and causing havoc.

But Brenda had seen the pain in Sharon Raydor's face. She was all alone in the world.

"Hey Chief."

Flynn. He had been different since the interrogation on Monday; he hadn't been joining in with Provenza's jokes or indeed their ribbing of Raydor. Brenda was struck with the parallels between Flynn and Raydor - she knew a great deal of their work in the LAPD, but barely anything of their personal life, barely anything of what came before. Andy had been an alcoholic, what other dark secrets were he holding in his cupboard?

"Good Morning Lieutenant. Come sit with me."

He did so, both of them leaning on Provenza's desk and looking at the board. She wasn't sure what she was hoping to get out of it, looking at the board intently. There didn't seem to be any connection whatsoever, and it killed her.

"Raydor went to the crime scene yesterday, talked to some people who said that Mickey Raydor was trying to help out, there seemed to be some extortion racket going on. Maybe Broker will get you a name," Flynn explained, his snarky tone invading his words. She had missed that side of him, brooding detective didn't suit him.

"It's a start."

Brenda crossed her arms over her chest, and looked at Flynn who seemed uncomfortable. She gave him a look to inform him she wanted to know. "You know Broker won't give you what you want without wanting something in return. He's scum."

"I know. But it's all we've got."

Flynn put his hand over hers, a gesture that she wasn't expecting but it touched her. "You know what you're doing, but I also know that Sharon and Mickey Raydor got caught up in all this shit and it's not their fault."

"Since when are you nice about Raydor?"

He looked away from her, as if he wanted to hide the emotion in his eyes. "Since I started thinking about how much shit goes down on those streets. We solve murders; they try and make sure that the people of LA still trust enough to do it." She gave him a look, a roll of the eyes. "She's still a bitch - just a bitch that is on our side."

She chuckled for the first time all week and pulled out her phone, seeing if Fritz had called about Broker. Brenda sighed when there was no sign of anything. As her other detectives moved into the office, Flynn left her side breaking their touch, and she found she missed the contact, the familiarity of Andy Flynn.

X

She couldn't remember the last time she had been to Central Park, but with Brendan, Caitlin and Will it felt magical. Brendan had attached his hand to hers, not wanting to let go. Caitlin had to be kept on a tight rein by her father as she was determined to see everything and talk to everyone. As expected, the sugar of doughnuts and French toast had produced two hyper monsters.

"Hey, you want some ice cream?"

Sharon pointed out the small ice cream parlour that Harry had taken her and Ben to as teenagers when they had done really well at school. It was the only thing that Harry had ever done well for her and Ben, having determined that both of his 'dream' kids was broken. She had never taken Sam there, wanting to have something with Ben, her first ever sibling.

Will shook his head at her at the mere suggestion, but he knew it was a lost cause. Brendan and Caitlin rushed over to see the glimmering place of wonder, and Will and Sharon had to run after them. The shop was open when they got to it, and the two young Pope's had already secured seats in the window. A waitress took their orders, and Will kept his eyes on Sharon the entire time. She flushed with his attention, not used to it and loving it.

"Sharon! Is it that time of year already?" Will looked up at the voice and saw a man coming out of the back room. He looked like the owner. He was a slim man, with a moustache and squeezed Sharon's shoulder as he joined them.

"Hey Malcolm, yeah it is. This is Will, a friend of mine from LA."

Malcolm shook Will's hand and smiled at the group, especially the two children who were devouring a big bowl of chocolate ice cream and toffee sauce. She saw Will's face fall, and remembered their playful conversation from that morning. Exhaling, she reached over and grabbed Will's hand. "He's actually my boyfriend. And my boss. Just don't tell anyone else that!" Sharon said, grinning from ear to ear as she rubbed Will's hand.

"Well then it's an ever bigger pleasure to meet you Will. Take good care of our little Sharon here."

As her own ice cream bowl came, she took the spoon and ate it gratefully. She turned to Will, deciding to explain. "Malcolm, the owner, comes from our neighbourhood. He knows Sam's family, and although he's in LA right now…"

"Then why are you scared of him from all the way across the country? He means nothing; he has no part in your life whatsoever. Sam hurt you, he ripped your life apart but you have no ties to him. You put yourself back together. I like to think I'm the glue that helped you a little…"

He didn't finish his sentence as Sharon had already leaned across the table and planted her lips on his. As they broke apart they started laughing, and Sharon breathed a sigh of relief, feeling tension drain from her shoulders, just from sharing her world of New York with the man in front of her.

From the corner, Malcolm watched the lonely young girl he had known become a proud and loved woman. He gave them their ice cream on the house.

X

He wasn't used to roaming freely around the corridors of the LAPD. But he was on their side today, and Sam Broker felt like this was a once in a life time opportunity. He had been directed to the Major Crimes offices, and found them easily enough. The place was masculine, coffee cops and magazines over the place with no personal photos whatsoever. However he could see in Chief Johnson's office the femininity of it, photos and a pink jacket hung over a chair. What a clash of images.

The whiteboard was pride of place, and Sam could see the case they were trying to build. Names and photos covered it, arrows and question marks too. There were blown up images of bullets and then the victims. In the corner was a picture of Mickey, with a smiling Sharon Raydor. Both of them looked happy, and he recognised the photo of being from the Raydor house.

Below it was a photo of a woman he didn't know, but as he investigated the photo he realised who it was. The smile, the hair, those beautiful eyes were hard to forget, and he had tried. He ran his fingers over the photo, the pads of them aligning where her smile was. He hadn't seen her for nearly thirty years, but he would recognise her instantly. His heart began to ache when he thought of her, her voice, her smile, the moans she made. Age suited her, she had grown into a beautiful woman and her eyes held less anger than he thought they would.

Taking the photo off of the whiteboard, he considered pocketing it. It would be the most recent picture he would have of her, beautiful Sharon, _his _Sharon. Sam closed his eyes as he thought about her, the creases on her back, the swell of her breasts. How she giggled when he pulled her down on the sofa, how she screamed when he hit her with his belt. He savoured the moment, savoured the memory of something so immortally beautiful, something he possessed. _Had possessed._

His eyes snapped open as soon as he heard footsteps, the moment gone, the annoyance fading away as did the emotions on his face. Chief Johnson entered with one of her detectives, who clung to her like glue. Very masculine, very possessive - an alpha male. He was no beta male; he would stand his ground against this man. It would be interesting to see how he would react.

"Chief Johnson, thank you for meeting me. Could we discuss things in your office?"

"I think here is just fine Mr Broker. Have you got something for me?" she asked, the southern accent making everything she said either annoying or endearing. He found himself in the latter party. Her blonde hair and blue eyes were attractive, innocent looking. Sam wondered if she had been broken in by her husband, or whether she had got one of her detectives to do it for her, maybe the one standing beside her. He would have to investigate Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson in depth when he had some time.

"I asked around, like you wanted me to. Around 1974 there was a group of men who were running a racketeering enterprise in the area, asking people for protection money, loan sharks, that sort of thing. They were weeded out a few years later, and the area flourished."

The detective with her frowned, and spoke with a New York dialect, which surprised him. What was Private Dick running from? "So what, your boys come in and make the neighbourhood all bright and shiny?"

"I decline to comment, Detective. But I know my associates and I worked in that area for a time. As we moved away, we lost interest in our assets in that area. Perhaps the group returned? You're the detectives, not me."

Johnson nodded, and Sam found himself examining the tendons in her neck. "Well Mr Broker, you've been an excellent help. Thank you for dropping by."

Sam nodded, realising his time in the hallowed halls were up. He unbuttoned his jacket and put his hand in his trouser pocket, enjoying the casualness of his exit. As he got to the door, he turned back and talked directly to the Detective with her, looking the alpha male up and down.

"What happened to Sharon? Is she okay?"

The detective kept very still, like he was trying to control his body language. "She's in New York. We let her know what was going on, conducted an interview. She's back in New York; you'll have to go ask her what she's up to these days."

The answer was satisfactory, but he had become expert at picking up body language, the little tones in the voice that gave things away. The detective was aggravated, almost as if he was protecting her. Either way, he just nodded once again and left.

Sharon was in New York, where she was supposed to be. He had often thought about tracking her down, seeing her once again. See if they still had the chemistry, still if they would still succumb to the lust that had haunted them all their lives. Moreover he wanted to lick the scars he had created on her back, and take her like it was his right to.

Back in the offices of Major Crimes, Brenda turned to Flynn, confused about his words. "Why did you lie to him? Apart from the obvious."

There was something about that man that got under her skin, something that slid over it that she wasn't comfortable with. Not since Stroh or even Bill had she felt so disgusted living in her own body. She could understand the need to protect their own, but she wondered why Flynn had fictionalised Raydor completely, done away with all their history and the fact that she was now an officer here in LA.

"You see the way he looked at Raydor's picture? That's a whole world of trouble right there. I've seen guys like Broker before, they're possessive, they'll kill for what's theirs. You want to see Raydor on the other side of a blade with him holding it?"

Brenda shook her head. As much as she disliked the Captain, she wouldn't wish Broker's attention on anyone. She shivered. "No, I don't Lieutenant. Listen, go to the gang unit and see what we can dig up. Get me a name, Flynn, I want this case over."

She decided to go home for lunch and take the longest shower possible to wash away the dirt she felt in every pore.

X

Will found her looking out the window of the New York hotel room, staring down on the street below. It was five o'clock in the morning, Saturday Morning. He moved over and held her, resting his chin on her forehead. She was freezing; he wasn't sure exactly what time she had left their bed. He didn't say anything for a while until he asked the question that she most wanted him to.

"You want me to go with you to the grave?"

"Please, Will."

They sat on the small seat in front of the window, Sharon cocooned in Will's arms. They sat there, watching the sun come up over the Manhattan skyline. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Brendan and Caitlin looking out of their room and at their father. He gave them a little shake of his head and they retreated back into their room. Sharon needed a little bit of time before she could face the world again.

"Tommy will be coming up soon. He can look after the kids, while we go and see my Dad. I think it's going to be my last time for a while."

Will kissed the top of her head and looked at her. "Are you sure?"

A tear ran down her face, and Will tightened his grip around her as he felt her body shudder. "I have been to his grave every year since he died. I need to…Will, I need to stop clinging to him. I need to stop coming back here like it will make me safe, all its doing is tearing me in two. My father wouldn't want me to live two lives. He wanted me to be happy, and I don't think I am coming back here. It makes me cold."

"LA makes you warm huh?"

"You make me hot."

She kissed him, gripping his shoulder tightly as she clung onto him, needing him. The kiss was rich with fire, desperation and Will found it hard to keep up. Eventually he broke the kiss and moved his mouth to her cheeks. As he looked out onto New York, his hands trembling as Sharon shook beneath him, he realised the tears were in fact laughter. He turned over to see where she was looking and shook his head at the sight of Brendan covered in bubbles.

"What did you do?"

"Caitlin wanted to give her Hannah doll a bath, and the Transformers too because she said they were dirty!"

Sharon giggled, laughing at Will's younger son. "But metal rusts!"

"I tried to tell her that!"

Will just shook his head and shepherded his son into the bathroom for a towel. Sharon continued to laugh and welcomed Caitlin into her lap, who then gave her a tissue.

"Daddy said your Daddy died a long time ago, today."

Sharon's face softened at the childlike explanation of the world she was consumed in. "He did. He was a good Daddy, the best. Like your Daddy, he was smart and brave and he loved me just as much as your Daddy loves you."

Caitlin brushed Hannah's hair, snuggling into Sharon. "What about your Mom?"

"She left when I was a kid."

"Like my Mom."

At that moment, Sharon realised that maybe Will was right, that Brendan and Caitlin needed a mother. She found herself filled with warmth as Caitlin made Hannah dance across her arm. She held Caitlin tight, trying to not let her tears drip on the young girls head.

X

Around midday there was a knock on the door. Will noticed that neither of his three companions were going to get up and answer it, so he shook his head and did so himself. On the doorstep was his son, looking different. He seemed older, wiser. He seemed surer of himself.

"Hey Dad."

"Hey Tommy."

The two men embraced in the corridor, and Tommy clung onto him like a drowning man. The three others were still engrossed into the cartoons, and Will motioned for the two of them to step outside and talk. Tommy nodded and they closed the door to. Neither men were known for their heart to heart chats, but things between them had been changing lately.

"Sharon said she gave you her car. She also said that you came down to visit me, I'm sorry that I didn't call to let you know we had gone away."

Tommy ran his hand through his hair, cropped shorter than the last time he had seen him. Apparently it had got worse since then, but there were none of the hanging locks that Jean had moaned about when she had called the other week. His son seemed to notice he was staring. "I got a hair cut - Steve has been saying that doctors shouldn't have long hair and all this stuff. Found a barbers on the interstate, got it all cut off. I'm tired of rebelling against you, against him, against everything. I'm just tired, Dad."

He patted his son on the shoulder and smiled at him. His son was growing up before his eyes, and Will was so proud of him. He remembered a young boy eager to please both his parents, he remembered a boy who didn't understand the concept of divorce. He remembered a teenager who slept with and manipulated girls to gain power over his world. He remembered a young man with everything to live for - a place at Harvard, a beautiful girlfriend, and yet unhappy.

He would now remember the man, the man who had decided to stop blaming the world for his problems. "Sharon was right, the drive did me good. Gave me some time to think about things. I want to live my life instead of wandering through it. I'm going to give things a go at Harvard, see how things turn out. Dad, we haven't always got along but I want you to know that I don't blame you for leaving Mom. As much as I hated you, I would rather have Brendan and Caitlin and Mom and Steve's kids than be all alone."

"You should hate me a little, because I never thought about you when I was sleeping around, and I regret every photo of you I see that I don't remember."

When Sharon found them outside, both men were trying not to cry. She welcomed them inside, and Caitlin and Brendan jumped on him. Will watched them, a little empty inside. He wasn't sure where his son's future lay - he didn't seem to know anything about the real Tommy. He didn't want his son to settle, he didn't want him to become something he loathed.

For the first time, Will felt jealous of Steve and the impact he was having on his son. He had followed in Steve's footsteps, considered him to be his real father. Although he had been forgiven for moving on with a different family, Will wasn't sure if he could ever forgive himself. He now had to get to know the man, having already lost his chance to get to know the boy.

X

"So….did you do some thinking?" Sharon asked, pulling on her shoes in the bedroom she shared with Will, Tommy hovering at the door.

"I did. I guess I'm still confused about things - I feel like I need a path, and that may be medicine."

She looked at him sympathetically, wondering if he had already returned to his denial of his current path. "You hate medicine."

"I do. But it makes my Mom happy, it makes goddamn Steve happy….my Dad is proud of me, you know? Maybe I could switch to pre law, I don't know. I did make one decision though."

She looked up at him, seeing her own youth reflected in Tommy like she had with Caitlin earlier that morning. At the same age she had never really known her path. She had rebelled against her adopted parents and had chosen an easy path, one that had been laid out for her by Sam. It was easier to float along and revel in his joy of her than decide what she wanted from the world.

It wasn't until she had nearly lost her life had she realised what little a loss to the world that would have been.

"I've decided to stay out the year, see how things go. See if medicine is really what I want to do. Then, if it's not, I'll tell Steve I'm quitting. I'm going to use my trust fund and take a proper tour of the world. Start in Washington DC and head round to LA the other way. I don't know how far I'll get, but I think I need to just find myself before I do anything else. Do you know that there used to be this tribe that would walk until they found themselves? I want to do that. Wrap up this year and find myself. Figure out who Tommy Pope really is."

She gave him a hug, and Tommy turned to her, reaching for her hand. "Thank you for believing in me, not a lot of people have. Thank you for making Dad happy."

The words rung in her ears as she and Will caught a taxi to the cemetery. She had never looked for herself like Tommy wanted to do. She had wanted to become the opposite of what Sam was, and she remembered the goodness that had come out of her father's work. Maybe she had had a path all along, she just hadn't realised it.

The cemetery was familiar; she had been there for the last thirty six years. Will gripped her hand as they entered the iron gates and headed through the rows of gravestones until they slowed down. Her steps grew heavy as they turned the final corner in the labyrinth of graves and found 'Michael Raydor'. His dates were there, as was 'loving father'. It was all so familiar, yet all so surreal.

She wasn't sure what she was going to do. Should she talk to her father? As a young woman with fresh scars on her back she had talked to her father's grave every Sunday, asking more questions and seeking answers. But she didn't know what to say when Will was there.

"I'll be right over here if you need me."

Sharon ran her fingers in the indents of the stone, sighing as she traced the familiar letters. "Hey Dad. You know your case has come up, and people are investigating it. Maybe I'll finally get some answers about why, you know? Because this case took you from me, and I have been trying to find the bastard for thirty four years. Maybe that's why I keep coming back - to catch the guy who did it at your grave, feeling sorry."

There were no answers, no heavenly voice from above. Just the cold chill of New York, and the sight of stone. "Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like, if you had lived. I'd be married to Sam, maybe with kids - we would probably have stayed in New York. But then I wouldn't know Ben, and I wouldn't be in love with Will and I wouldn't be a Captain at the LAPD. I know when you died you hated them, but I _love _the LAPD. I love what I do, Dad, you'd be so proud of me."

She didn't know what else to say, what else would give her answers. Maybe nothing would. She wasn't sure any longer why she kept coming, rehashing the same possibilities. "I was reading about some guy in the newspaper the other day that believes that forgiveness is the key to moving on. You have to forgive people for your hate, your loss. Forgive me Dad, for hating you so long. And I forgive you for leaving me."

As she stood up, she moved straight into Will's arms that held her tight. With a last glimpse at her father's stone, Sharon and Will walked away. As they did so, her phone rang. It was Flynn - and Sharon felt her numbness lift into something resembling a direction. A path.

X

Her phone was ringing. Fritz poked at her to answer it, but it was Saturday morning and she had left Provenza in charge to check things over with the gang unit. She didn't want to be disturbed. Fritz wanted her to look at furniture and other potentially boring things on their Saturday off. Eventually, after Fritz had gone over to her to answer her phone for her, she picked up.

"Hello?"

_"Chief, it's me Flynn. We've been at it all night, but we think we've found the guy. We had another talk with the families, and they mentioned some kind of racketeering going down on both women. There was a loose cannon back in the area thirty years ago called Kry Rico. He went to jail for the murder of his girlfriend two weeks after the first woman was shot. Came out a month ago."_

"Do you have him in custody?"

_"Gabriel is working on the warrant as we speak - should have him down at the station within an hour."_

"I'll meet you down there Lieutenant. And…good work."

Fritz had grumbled, knowing what was coming next, and had fallen back to sleep. Brenda tried not to disturb him as she got dressed and poured herself a glass of juice before heading out to Parker Centre. She had her game face on; she was the closer and needed to close her case. A part of her wanted to be the one to tell Captain Raydor what they had achieved, but she didn't know if she could do it sincerely. It was much easier to hate the Captain when she saw her as a two dimensional bitch.

Down in Parker Centre, Flynn informed her that Rico was in the interrogation rooms. Seeing him on the monitor, she saw a cocky man who looked to be part of something he wasn't. He would be a challenge, but one she was more than ready for. Accompanied by Flynn, Brenda walked into the interrogation room and sat opposite Rico. She shuffled he papers in front of her and smiled at the man.

"Mr Rico, I believe you have been read your rights and declined counsel so we can get down to business. We need your help with something. I'm Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, and I need your help taking down Sam Broker."

Flynn didn't flinch at her method, which was good. Rico didn't look convinced, and Brenda prayed that he bought it. "Your boys said I was being arrested for murder."

Brenda waved her hand. "We needed to get you in here without losing all your credibility, didn't we? Now I know you gentlemen don't like to help us out, but this is _Sam Broker _we're talking about. He and his boys took your territory, ruined the good name of crime and all that. But to be perfectly honest there are gangs and there is sophisticated, organised crime. We want Broker in jail. We know he's killed people, and if you can help us out with any information you have then we can put him behind bars, and you can go back to being king of your dusty little hill. Sound good?"

Rico seemed to think over her offer, see if it was for him or not. Brenda could see that she needed to move forward, so she pulled out the photos she was used to showing, the pictures of the two dead women who had been trying to live in a neighbourhood and were tired of paying money just to be safe.

"We think - know - he killed these two women. Janis Baker and Marie Jack. They ran in your neighbourhood, they were shot to death. We want Broker for these two; if you could give us any information then maybe we could help with some of those charges you seem to be piling up."

Rico looked at them and snarled, his eyes dark. "Broker didn't kill them."

"We know he did Rico, and we want your help proving it. We know he killed them because they wouldn't pay up, we know he made their husbands widows and their kids orphans. We know that their deaths mean he's king of the hill."

"Broker wouldn't touch them, he doesn't kill bitches, he gets some other motherfucker to do it. And this ain't Broker's style, you stupid bitch!" Rico snarled, kicking the table leg. Neither her, nor Flynn flinched. He was unravelling - men like Rico always got upset when someone got blamed for their handiwork.

Brenda took both of their photos. "Well thank your _help_, Mr Rico. I guess we'll look elsewhere for assistance in taking down Broker. It's a shame; I think killing these two helped him put him on the map."

Rico wasn't that bright, and if he had wanted counsel instead of being an arrogant bastard that could deal with the stupid LAPD then he wouldn't be heading for the mess he now was.

"Broker didn't kill them you stupid bitch! He likes to strangle them; he doesn't shoot them up like those bitches. Bang to head - execution style! He got no fucking finesse, he's a freak. Gets off on it."

She smiled before turning around to Rico. "I never mentioned that they had been shot, Mr Rico. Especially not shot in the head."

Rico realised that his words had got a hold of him, like so many criminals had. He banged his hands down on the table and screamed. "I want my fucking lawyer!"

"I bet you do."

Outside, Flynn started to grin. Brenda did too until she remembered what Rico had said about Broker and his 'style'. As if she needed any more reason to dislike that man. But they had their killer - she would go in there a little bit later and try and reason with him, try and give him a deal that the DA would put forward. But in the end whatever time he served would be justice to the thirty years that two families had been waiting for.

"I need to talk to Fritz about Broker - but Lieutenant Flynn, please call Captain Raydor and tell her that we have the man that framed her father."

She watched Flynn smile as he pulled out his phone. He looked pleased with himself, and once Tao came back with forensics and she had the confession then her body could loosen up and she could put this case to rest.

X

She had told Will to stay in New York, that the kids could still have one day of their holiday left to enjoy. But the Pope's had made an executive decision to come back with her that night. Caitlin, displaying a great deal of her mother according to Will, decreed that she was part Pope now, and that they went together.

They had checked out early and piled their bags into Tommy's new car as once again he became a taxi to take them to the airport. He had helped them into the airport, and they all hugged the young man as he left them to get on their flight home.

"Keep out of trouble," Will muttered to his son as they headed into security. As the father felt jealous of the life his son was living away from him, the son was envious of the family bond the four of them had - and Sharon a recent addition made it a little worse. The mother figure was obviously one to be replaced quicker than the older, estranged brother was. Tommy, with even more food for thought, got into his car and drove back to his dorm.

The flight back was nerve wracking - she kept clinging onto Will. The in flight movie didn't interest her; all she wanted to do was get back and confront this man. Their luggage took longer than expected coming around, and Sharon had to hold her tongue or risk yelling. They caught a cab to Parker Centre, where Will took Caitlin and Brendan and left them in his office with Simon happy to watch over them. Together they headed down to Major Crimes, where Andy caught up with them.

"Hey, thank you for coming so quickly."

She was finding it difficult to focus; she needed to get things straight in her head. "Flynn, explain things to me."

He nodded, and reached for the notebook in his pocket. "Guy's name is Rico. He used to run a protection racket back in the seventies. Your Dad got hold of it, and tried to see if he could do anything to help out. There was one woman, Janis, who talked to him a lot about what was going on. Rico saw what she was doing, asked her to pay more. He beat her a couple of times. Got to the point where she called your Dad, Rico came over and there was a shoot out, leaving her dead. Your Dad didn't leave any paperwork, so no one believed him in 1974."

Sharon felt numb. It had all rushed out of Flynn in less time than it took to boil a kettle, but it answered a lifetime of questions, she now knew the answers she had wanted to have for so many years. "Thank you Flynn, for doing this."

"No problem."

"Is that him?"

Flynn looked down the corridor and saw the guy she was looking at. He nodded. Will watched as she moved down the corridor, like a pale ghost on a mission.

The man had a scar above his right eye, but the sharp suit he wore didn't seem to match it. He was a mess of contradictions, and Sharon wondered why. Just why. She had no other questions, they had all been answered. She just had the one. Taking the photograph of her father out of her wallet, she walked up to him, her blood thundering in her ears. This was the man who had ruined her life. Who had taken everything from her.

The hate she had felt for her father was now transferred to this man, who finally had a face.

"Mr Rico, do you know this man?" Sharon asked, passing him the photo of her father. She nodded to the detective who was holding him, who gave her a sympathetic nod back. News really did travel fast in Parker Centre.

The man, in handcuffs, looked at the photo with disdain. "You ain't putting that on me. I don't know the goddamn guy, okay?"

Her legs felt shaky, all her adrenalin was rushing to her feet. She needed to know for sure. "Are you sure Mr Rico - look closely!" But even as she said the words, she already had her answer.

He growled at her, his eyes reflecting those of a wounded animal than anything else. "I don't know the bastard, so get the fuck out of my face you bitch."

The officer smacked his head against the wall and nodded at her as she passed. Sharon put the photograph in her wallet, not sure what she had expected. Answers, a reason for what had happened to her father, what had happened to her. But there was none, nothing: just a man who had wanted to rule over a kingdom and a father who had got caught in the middle. She clung onto Will as he arrived, and she didn't want to let go. The world had started to move again, but her body wasn't catching up fast enough.

"Brenda wants to see you. I think she wants to apologise," he said, before kissing her on the forehead.

They were brought into the offices of Major Crimes, and Sharon sat down in Provenza's chair, needing to sit down before she fell down. The detectives of Major Crimes were trying to ignore her, but they all wanted to see how she would react. Eventually Brenda came into the offices and stood opposite her, shivering a little.

"Captain, as you know by now we found the man who killed that woman, framing your father. I wanted to apologise about my interrogation of you on Monday. I'm sorry that I took it upon myself to believe that you or your father had committed murder to cover up a murder. I…I'm sorry for that, and for your loss."

Sharon didn't know what to say. Yes she was happy that Johnson was apologising to her, but she still felt numb. She wrung her hands over each other, trying to get some feeling back into them. The surrealism of the situation was still there, Sharon couldn't believe that it was actually happening. That it was all over.

"Thank you Chief Johnson. If you'll excuse me, I want to go home and get some sleep."

Brenda nodded and Sharon stood up, everything shaking. There were a few officers who had started muttering at the back, and she knew every eye was on her. To them she was still the antichrist - despite losing her father and him being framed for killing a woman and losing his career, she was still the bad guy. And that would remain so, until everything came out.

Will came into the offices, and Sharon so wanted to reach over, kiss him and let him hold her. But she had spent most of her time holding herself from the truth, not letting herself go deep into the facts but merely glossing over things. Enough was enough, she needed to let go of the past.

"Chief Johnson, do you want to know why I do what I do?"

She pretended to be interested for a moment and looked at the Captain. She had played nice for some time, but now the moment was gone and she was tired. "By all means Captain, enlighten us."

Sharon looked at the officers at the back, and watched as their mouths turned upward slowly into smiles. Everyone else was looking amused, once again she was back to being the joke, the one thing that unified the police force. She was tired of playing that role - it wasn't the role her father would have wanted for her.

"When you shoot a person as a police officer, if you're a good police officer, then you'll feel guilty. You'll start questioning everything. If you are found to have shot a person then your case will go to court. Most people will get something on their records, some will go to prison and others will be fired or quit. The _good _officers never forget someone they shot."

Brenda was looking at her with some disinterest. "This isn't anything you haven't told me before, Captain. We solved the case; if you want to get down off your soap box we'd all be more than grateful. Some of us would like to go home."

She smiled for a moment before turning to face those who watched her. "The reason why I kick your asses so much, drive you all to insanity is because I want to make damn sure that the officer is guilty. If he's not then that's fine but sloppy police work and assumptions lead to people getting hurt. No officer needs to think he killed someone when he didn't."

"Daddy complex," muttered one of the police officers, but Sharon didn't care. She looked back at Will, and saw his face carved in agony for her. He didn't want her to do this, didn't want to prostitute her pain for the cause of the police. But he understood why she had to do it.

"Thank you Captain Raydor, I now can see why your methods are so severe. Good night."

Brenda motioned for her team to just leave her to her own devices, and Sharon stood as all around her the Major Crimes unit and associate officers packed up their stuff and headed towards the door. Brenda looked at Will and smiled at him, brushing her hand up his arm as she headed out the door.

"Do you remember being fifteen, Chief?"

Brenda looked at Sharon, realising that the lecture wasn't over. "I do, vaguely."

"You remember your first date, your first real date?" Sharon smiled, wistfully. "Because I do."

There were still some officers who were filtering out, but the change in self pretentious topic had halted a few at the door. Sharon wasn't watching the voyeurs; she was staring out the window onto the city, her thoughts somewhere else.

"My boyfriend had taken me out; it had been our first date together. It was a lovely evening; he even dropped me at the door like a gentleman should do. I went inside the house, calling for my Dad. I found him in the kitchen."

No one said a word. Everyone was waiting for the punch line.

Sharon raised her hand and formed it into a gun, aiming it at her head. "He'd shot himself in the head with his gun." She released the trigger into empty air. "There was blood all over the kitchen table, all over the kitchen floor. His gun was covered in bits of his head."

Brenda tried to say something, but Will put a hand up. Sharon wasn't finished yet.

"My father had left a note, saying how he was sorry that he had to go, but he couldn't deal with the guilt anymore. Three months later I was back at my house, packing up all my stuff and a letter came through the door, addressed to my father. It explained the ballistics report, and how they had fucked up. And all I could think about was the back of my father's head on our refrigerator door."

Sharon turned around to face them, her face ashen with tears streaming down her face. "I guess you'll have to excuse me Chief, that I don't feel sorry for the officers who shoot people and feel no remorse, or the ones that do but don't care because it's just part of the job. I don't ruin officer's lives. I never have. One detective thirty six years ago ruined mine because he didn't check his facts. And now I have no father, just the image of his body and me cleaning the blood off of our kitchen floor with bleach."

Will ordered everyone out of the officers as silently as he could, and he shut the doors. He then watched as Sharon slid to the floor, needing to breathe. When she wanted him, he held her until all the tears she could spare covered her cheeks.

X

Will had gone to get her a cup of coffee or a glass of water, she wasn't really sure. As she sat in Provenza's chair, Will's jacket hung over her frame. She didn't know what she was doing, what she was thinking. She felt hollow, empty, like she didn't know how to define herself any more.

"Hey."

She looked up and saw Flynn, not the man she wanted to see, but he would do. Sharon nodded at him, not quite seeing things straight anymore. He passed her a bottle of water from his personal stash and she took it gratefully. He pulled over Gabriel's chair and sat next to her, reaching out to hold her hand. To both their surprise, she didn't pull away.

"I'm sorry about your father, Sharon, I really am."

"Thank you," she whispered, the words barely coming out of her mouth.

Sharon watched as Flynn's face changed. She had known him for decades, but she had never seen his face become that soft and childlike before. She had seen that face in the mirror, and she wondered if this case had affected more than just her.

"My mother died when I was a kid, Cancer. That left three of us kids with Dad, who couldn't take care of a wet paper bag. Cindy got pregnant at fifteen; Max was in constant trouble with the police. I started going to bars just to get out of the house."

"I'm sorry Flynn," Sharon said, and he seemed to take comfort in the words.

A shadow passed over his face and he looked up at her. She didn't recognise the eyes that looked back - they were hollow. "My Dad had had enough, put a pipe in his car window and suffocated. He had lost his job, his kids were a mess and he couldn't hack it."

"Andy…"

"He was a selfish bastard who left his three kids in the world. I had just turned eighteen; I wasn't ready to take care of anything. I just…I got out as quick as I could, and ran to LA. Joined the force, never looked back."

She didn't know what to say. She didn't think there was anything she could say to that. So she just reached over and held his hand, gripping it as tight as she could. "Andy we've known each other nearly twenty years, and this is the first time we've _really _talked."

"Yeah I know. I miss your crazy antics Raydor."

She laughed, and then thought back to one of the few times they had had a conversation just the two of them. When Will came in with her cup of coffee, she told him her idea, and said he would drive her. On the way, she texted the people she wanted to meet there, and when they got to the abandoned baseball diamond they were all there. Taylor, Provenza, Gabriel, Tao, Sanchez and her own team: Jimmy, Claudia, Simon and Tony. Will had dropped Caitlin and Brendan at home with a neighbour watching them; they had been too asleep to concentrate on anything anymore.

As she got out of the front seat of the car, Will squeezed her shoulder. She hadn't invited Brenda - she wasn't ready to see that woman just yet. But the others, the ones she knew personally, were here.

"Okay, listen up. This week has been shit overall, especially for me. Now, if it was a perfect world I'd be in New York right now raising a glass of something to my Dad, but I'm not. I'm here with you, so let's make the most of it. I'm tired of fighting with Major Crimes. So someone pick up a ball and grab a bat, let's sort this out old school."

Will watched as Sharon picked up a bat, spinning it and tapping it on her knee. Flynn picked up the ball and threw it hard - she knocked it out with a swing that made him flinch. He then watched as Simon took the bat next, and hit the ball as hard as he could. Provenza and Claudia were paired afterwards, and then Sharon threw a good throw against Gabriel's bat.

It continued for a bit longer, all the while Will watching them play. Eventually they started playing an actual game, the newbie's against the old officers. Sharon was captain of one side, with Taylor, Flynn, Provenza, Tao and Tony. Will was brought into Captain the other team, and they continued to play until the sun was creeping over the trees.

"I better go catch some sleep, nice playing with you guys. See you on Monday, bright and early!" Flynn announced, patting her on the shoulder as he headed out with Provenza, Claudia and Simon. She would have to talk to him about what he had told her soon, but not today. Today was for new beginnings. Eventually everyone melted away to get some sleep until it was just her and Will on the diamond.

"Take up the plate, Pope," Sharon challenged, and he grinned. She threw him the ball perfectly and he hit it wide. Instead of running for the ball, she ran at him and rugby tackled him as he hit the second base. Sharon tackled him, straddling his waist. His hands reached up to stroke her face, wipe away the tears he found there.

The sun rose into the sky above Los Angeles, and down on the abandoned baseball diamond, Will Pope and Sharon Raydor kissed, telling each other the three words they meant more than any other.


	16. Chapter 16

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings._

This chapter has been edited from the original LJ posting due to ff. net's policy on MA ratings. Feel free to check out the original at my Livejournal.

**Chapter ****Sixteen**

_She's learned to open up, to display when she's angry, when she's in love, when she just can't quite believe how happy she is. They know the true reason why she fights, why she's a pain in the ass and they seem to have accepted it readily. The emptiness behind her words, her actions have gone. There is a warmth behind them now, the acceptance of a unity between everyone involved. _

_There is no alarm clock to wake her up, at least not half the week. Half of the week she is at Will's, the weekend part of it and Monday morning to make things a little more bearable. She wakes up to the sound of cartoons, and Caitlin and Brendan giggling. It's a beautiful sound. The shower is still pounding, it's still hot water but instead of an empty house there is Will shaving, cutting his chin when he's staring at her instead of concentrating. _

_Cereal and toast for breakfast; it's not a rushed affair. Caitlin and Brendan have taken to her, they love talking to her over breakfast. Rushing to find the toy is a family game. CNN is background noise, lost to the sound of a family breakfast. She doesn't remember anything quite like this - she and Ben would always rush to eat and leave the table as quick as they could. The sharp suits are still there, but a scarf to hide the hickeys Will has left on her neck is a common sight. _

_The kids are picked up by the bus, and Will drives her to work. Tommy has her car, so she uses her bike during the week. She's planning on buying a new one and fixing it up, maybe with Brendan's help. Will smiles at that, Estelle never used to share things with him. The car is untidy, wrappers and magazines all over the place. But she's trying to not order her life; the best things come around when you aren't expecting them. _

_They're still hiding their relationship from the world, so he drops her a block away and she walks into work. They arrive the same time and grin, and she adjusts the scarf. The guards nod at her, the woman at the entrance asks how she is. They don't bump into her, they just nod and avoid her, like grief and suicide is contagious. She passes by Flynn and Provenza. Provenza blanks her, Flynn nods on. The person she missed, her old partner, seems to be returning. _

_The FID department remains the same, they haven't changed. Tony is putting in new photos of his children and giving her a bright smile. Simon is making party invites for his valentines ball, and he gives her a wink when he sees the scarf. Claudia is somewhere, probably smoking on the roof or dumping stuff on Provenza's desk. Jimmy is showing pictures of his new girlfriend, a pretty blonde who works as a teaching assistant. He grins at her as she moves into her office. _

_The Webster case is consuming, the tension fills the air as everyone waits for the verdict. No one is sure what will happen after it - there are still the elements inside that want him found innocent, want him to be let go and her to be burned at the stake. But, now, she knows that the whispers and the hateful smiles are thinning out as everyone realises just what FID are there for. However confident she is, she has a feeling that in her gut that this is just the calm before the storm. _

X

He'd been to quite a few stakeouts before, but never one like this. Usually there was Buzz in a surveillance van, several of the Major Crimes team running around trying to be inconspicuous and Provenza sitting with Buzz doing his crossword. The Chief sometimes attended, but not always: and she usually remained in the van.

But not this time.

Flynn didn't know why things with her had seemed to change so radically - he wondered if it had anything to do with the meeting with Broker. He had slipped under her skin so disgustingly; he had noticed her shivering during their exchanges. He also wondered if it had anything to do with Raydor - now that she was having sympathy for the FID Captain, Brenda Leigh Johnson needed a new nemesis. It didn't really matter the cause - he and his Chief were parked outside Stroh's house at the crack of dawn, looking for any sign of the elusive rapist and murderer.

"The manager says he's going to rent it soon, the lease is nearly up and all his stuff is gone."

Brenda nodded and continued to look at the house. "I think we should get a warrant. Search under the floorboards, see if there is any trace evidence."

Flynn tried not to dash her hopes, but the truth was painful to a woman who prided herself on catching criminals. "Stroh's a smart man; he wouldn't have left anything in his house. He burned it all. Maybe there's an incinerator in the basement, or a list of details to safety deposit boxes hidden around the city….Chief?"

"Huh?"

She hadn't been paying attention, just staring at the house. It was really time that they left - they couldn't be staked out in front of the house all day. Flynn was happy to leave; they had been here for four hours and he was getting a little tired of the stale coffee in his thermos. Even Irish coffee wouldn't perk him up. However, he believed the Chief would be less than happy to leave Stroh's house.

"We should go Chief."

"Just one more minute Lieutenant."

He rolled his eyes and looked at her. The Chief could be stubborn, but so could he. He needed to get her to work, he knew from Gabriel's insistence and repetition that she had a Department Head meeting that morning. As he put the key in the ignition, her mind elsewhere, Flynn smiled on how he had suddenly become the favourite in Major Crimes. He had been a pain to her; albeit not one she cared about, a 'June bug in July'. As he had turned to Major Crimes their relationship had been sporadic, and she seemed to favour Gabriel over anyone else. But it wasn't Gabriel who she had chosen to tell about her visit to Stroh. It had been him.

Was this Broker's doing? Was it what happened with Joey that had reduced her to an obsessed wreck? Flynn wasn't sure, but she found the trust she gave him humbling.

"You've got a meeting, and I don't want to face Pope this early on a Monday."

She turned to him, her eyes full of something he couldn't identify. They were sad, in pain and lost to the wind. "Just one more minute Andy. Please."

He couldn't remember if she had ever said his name. It had always been 'Flynn', 'Lieutenant'. If they were giving full names, she always referred to him as 'Andrew'. She looked at him, pleadingly.

Andy started the car and backed away from Stroh's house.

"We need to get to work. We can come back tomorrow if you want."

He expected her to mumble about how she was needed at home, how Fritz wouldn't tolerate her sneaking out another morning. But she didn't say anything; she just nodded her head as they drove out of the neighbourhood. They managed to get to Parker Centre in good time, and Flynn parked his car in the garage, frowning at the noise_ something_ was making. He needed a new car.

"Thank you Lieutenant. I know you understand," Brenda said to him. Neither one of them had made a move to leave the car, the failure of the stakeout, however expected, weighed heavily.

Flynn nodded. "Yeah, I understand. I've had lots of cases where we haven't caught the bastard - they are the ones that stick with you. We had a guy for the UCLA Killer, Eddie Hanson. He taught forensics to kids, met the girls through them. Their bodies were washed clean when we found them, always in their dorm room. Throat would be slit with a normal, everyday kitchen knife. The girls would be raped, and he would take a lock of hair, a big lock from the scalp that you could sort of spot depending on the girl."

Her hand had been on the door handle, but it had now slipped away to rest in her lap. "How did he get off?"

His face grew hard, remembering the day when a serial killer had walked free out of Parker Centre. "Not enough evidence. Apparently anyone could have done it. Sharon and I knew he did, but we could never prove it. We used to follow university announcements across the country, see if he was continuing, but we sort of…gave up."

"You and Raydor…you two were close."

Flynn gave a shrug. "We were partners. The UCLA case pushed us together, we dated a little. When the case fell apart, so did we. Come on, I need to get to Provenza's desk before he does to add to Claudia's mess."

Brenda nodded and they got out of the car together and headed towards the entrance of the LAPD. In the lift, Flynn started humming before he noticed the Chief watching him.

"What?"

She looked down and then back at him. He grew concerned, and it wasn't until the other person in the lift got out that she opened to him. "I think that when this case falls apart, because some part of me knows it will, I'll fall apart too."

The man who always had some smart remark, some snide comment didn't know what to say to a woman who realised that the work was consuming her. By the time he had thought to touch her; to offer some human contact, the little that it was worth, the lift had opened up and they were in the hub of the LAPD.

Andy Flynn watched her walk away, and felt the emptiness he had only known a few times before rise up in him like bile.

X

The Department Head meeting was held on the second Monday of every month, and it went in the same format time and time again. Wendell would chair the meetings, with Will at his elbow and the important Department Heads sitting down to talk about budgets, complaints and the inner workings of the LAPD.

She had missed the last few in a determined effort to not see Will Pope. However, that was no longer an issue and she could return to being a bold voice for Internal Affairs. Usually she would sit near the head of the IAG, but today Sharon Raydor had chosen to sit next to Will, liking the feel of his leg against hers and before the meeting had even started, the holding hands.

"So when are you going to tell the kids?" Sharon asked. There was no one in the room, and although both were going over their notes as head of their respected areas, Will's arm was around her shoulder and her head was cradled into the crook of his arm.

"This weekend. Give them another week of you being here for weekends and see what they say. I don't see any problems, they love having you around. They love you. I love you."

Sharon looked at Will and kissed his nose, tracing over his cheekbones with her finger. She found that she was fascinated by his face, by his eyes and how bright they were. She'd often wake up earlier than him so she could see those eyes open up with the haziness of the day, and then the brightness when he saw she was lying next to him.

"Okay, let's get this started."

They broke away when Wendell came in, and returned to looking over their own paperwork. He had not seen the handholding or the kissing, and both of them knew better than to fondle the other in a Department Head meeting. He gave them a suspicious look but didn't say anything, and he sat down at the head of the table. One by one the heads of department filed in. Chief Stephen Mitchell sat opposite Sharon and gave her a wide grin. His support had been invaluable over the last week. Chief Johnson came in a little late, saw that her usual seat of sitting next to Chief Pope had been taken and chose to sit at the remaining seat, opposite Taylor.

The meeting was fairly quick and concise -minutes from the last meeting were discussed, problems with staff and cases were aired. Everyone noticed that there was no mention of Mickey Raydor's case, it was quickly glossed over. Brenda wasn't looking at Raydor; she was staring intently down at the paper. Taylor kept glancing at the two women, and noticed that the Captain was leaning towards Chief Pope. The two of them had become friends; maybe Johnson was jealous that her puppet was playing to another mistress.

"One of the final issues - we've got some new money coming in to bolster our department. I think that hiring some new blood would be a good thing; of course we'd have to be selective. Any ideas?"

At first there was silence. But then there was the audible sound of a kick, and Sharon Raydor flinched. She looked over to Stephen Mitchell with dark eyes before raising her hand. "Chief, if you may, I have a suggestion for where it could go."

"Please go ahead."

She coughed and turned to the centre of the room. "Currently FID only has four officers and myself to deal with all the officer involved force in the LAPD. Normally we wouldn't complain, a lot of them are perfectly straightforward but if the Webster case has taught as anything, it's that no case is typical. Some new people in FID might be a good idea."

Everyone was silent. Both Raydor and Mitchell looked uncomfortable at the quiet - no one was saying anything. She didn't know whether it was because they were shocked at her proposal, or if they were just being generous with her. She found she didn't care to find out which one it was.

"Is there a second?" Wendell asked, wanting to test the waters. He could see that things were becoming uncomfortable for her. Years of trying to hide her past because she wanted things to be straight and orderly had blown up in her face.

Will rose his hand. "I think it's a good idea."

Wendell coughed. "Anyone else?"

Taylor looked up at the Chief, confused. Pope's hand was a perfectly good second, plenty of them around the table were friends with each other, went drinking or played golf. There was no reason why his second wouldn't be good enough. Taylor leaned forward a little and his eye caught something near where the two were sitting. Out of the corner of his eye he could just make out Chief Pope and Captain Raydor holding hands.

This made everything so much more complicated.

X

Sharon had been granted the money to hire a new officer for FID, and she was going to start searching after the Webster case had been dealt with. She needed to go and meet with the DA about the case, but first she wanted to have things out with Wendell. She talked to Will for a few moments about hiring methods while everyone cleared out of the room. Taylor kept staring at them, which made her uncomfortable. As soon as there were only three people in the room, she rounded on the Chief of Police.

"Well that wasn't completely obvious!" She and Will tried to be discreet, playing up a platonic relationship rather than a romantic one. They were going to plan and wait for the right moment, and this wasn't it.

He looked up at her, his face sad. "Sharon…"

She crossed her arms and looked at him. "We're in positions where we could lose all credibility; we're not ready to tell people yet! By saying that Will's second meant zip, you've got everyone talking!"

He put his folder down. "That's what I'm hoping for."

"What?"

Wendell sat back in the chair and motioned for them to do the same. Sharon scooted closer to Will and he put an arm around her shoulder. Instead of frowning like he had done the last time he had seen them together, he smiled, his eyes weary but joyful.

"I'm glad you are back together, stronger than ever. What I need….what I would like you two to do is reveal that you are a couple soon - about the beginning of March. That way everyone can be talking about you two, it'll be huge news."

"Why, Wendell?" Sharon looked at him, alarm bells ringing in her head.

"I'm retiring."

She made a soft noise, not quite believing what he had just said. He nodded and looked at both of them. "The case with Mickey reminded me of what I haven't done for a long time - helped people. I'll be hitting retiring age this year, and I think it's time for me to go, enjoy some time with my family. But there are wolves in this LAPD, and I don't want them getting hold of my force before I know who is taking over."

They nodded, and Will gripped Sharon's shoulder. This wasn't the news they had been expecting, it was a shock to both of them. "We'll think things through, and we'll help you out however we can Wendell. It's not going to be the same without you here."

They talked for a moment more, murmuring about family life and the two of them moving in together. Wendell smiled, patted Will's shoulder and kissed Sharon's cheek before heading out. The two of them watched him go, and felt sadness. When he left, the LAPD would be a shell of what it was now.

X

They were meeting in the offices, unlike what Simon wanted. He wanted to meet in some posh restaurant for lunch. Tony wanted to meet in a pub. Claudia wanted to meet in the smoking section of an establishment and Jimmy thought a board room would be the best idea. She was inclined to agree, and moved them and all the paperwork into one of the nicer board rooms at Parker Centre.

District Attorney Harrison Simmons was getting on in years, but like Provenza he had no desire to retire. He had taken on the case personally because of the nature of it, and Sharon was grateful. They needed all the help they could get when it came to Jake Webster and his itchy trigger finger.

"Well, they've finally set a trial date for that bastard." Everyone with Harrison was either an angel or a bastard. One or the other. Most of the people he dealt with were bastards, although he did sometimes use angel with air quotes around it. "Next Monday, bright and early, on the fifteen of February, Webster's trial will start. He's being transferred on the Sunday, a lovely romantic valentine's day with him and his hand."

Claudia snorted, and Simon grinned. Harrison was certainly a character, but he was one of the good guys. "Webster has some hot shot lawyer who is going to poke holes in the case, look at drinking while "off duty" and saying all this crap about pre meditated murder and all that other legal shit."

"Yeah, well, he definitely planned to kill Captain Raydor. I've got the scar to prove that," Jimmy said sullenly, his eyes glancing towards her.

Harrison looked over the rims of his glasses at Jimmy and then at his notes. "Yeah, well when we have a hearing tomorrow we're going to consider the attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon of Charlie Grundy, the attempted murder of Sharon Raydor and the assault with a deadly weapon of Jimmy Beatie. If we get a good judge he'll let us keep all the charges intact. If not, we'll do Charlie Grundy and then see if we can recharge him."

They went over the evidence bit by bit, looking at testimonies and forensic reports. Everything seemed to be in order, they had worked hard to get where they were. Harrison seemed pleased, even if Jimmy didn't. Sharon thought he was having flashbacks. She squeezed his shoulder as she showed Harrison out.

"I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning, Captain. Get some sleep; this is going to be a rough week."

They had no active cases; there was nothing they could do until tomorrow morning. So, wanting everyone to rest up, so she let everyone leave early. Tony offered to give her a lift home, but Sharon had plans, she had lunch with Annie.

That girl was finally getting her house.

X

She had changed into street clothes in the bathroom, slipping into a dress and heels. Sharon wanted to look nice for the meal; it was rare that she went out. But she needed to prepare mentally for tomorrow, so she felt she deserved the afternoon off. She slipped on her heels and moved out of the bathroom door, but caught her foot and ended up tumbling, straight into Will. There was no one around; the bathroom was too near the FID offices for anyone to be caught dead near it. So he eagerly caught her and held on.

"You okay?" Will was holding onto her waist, smiling at her. He was not used to seeing her in a dress, seeing her so feminine. He was smiling, looking up and down in a way that made her cheeks flush.

"Do you make it a habit to wait outside female bathrooms Chief Pope?"

He went bright red and dropped his hands. Sharon missed the contact, but she enjoyed the look on his face. "You meeting Annie for lunch?"

She smiled. "Telling her I'm putting the house on the market. If you're sure…"

Will leaned over to kiss her cheek, stroking the nape of her neck. "I'm sure. The sooner you move in, the sooner everything can return to normal, and we can be happy again. All four of us."

"Five if you include Tommy."

He nodded, bringing her into a hug. "Seven if you include Claudia and Simon."

Sharon giggled as she kissed him goodbye and headed down to where the cab was waiting outside.

The restaurant was a posh lunch place with the right price range. Annie hugged her as they found each other on the steps and went inside. They ordered drinks and their food, Annie winking at the waiter. Sharon was happy at the confidence that Annie had now after she had finally said to her boss-slash-lover that things were over between them. Annie could finally move on and go after another man who was a safe bet.

"How's the housing market looking?" Sharon asked over a glass of wine, sipping gently. She was in a good mood, she didn't know how long it was going to last but she was going to enjoy it while it was there.

Annie took a sip of her own drink. "Pretty poor really. Not many good properties."

"You want a really good one to add to your list?" Sharon teased, looking into Annie's face to see the reaction. Annie nodded absentmindedly; it wasn't until she replayed her friend's tone that she realised that she was talking about her house, the house she had been trying to sell for too long.

"Seriously?"

Sharon nodded, giggling. "Yeah! I'm ready to sell; I think that I need a fresh start. So I'm also looking for a new place, miss realtor."

Their food came while they were talking and Annie produced a pad. "Sorry, I'm just so excited! I have wanted to get that house on the market for so long…and now I get to find you a new place! What are you looking for?"

Sharon took a bite of her chicken and groaned. She had forgotten how good the food was here. She ate another mouthful before getting up the courage to tell Annie. She hadn't told Ben yet; she wanted to see him in person: he was back in New York on business. Sharon hoped he would be pleased, that she had finally moved on from Sam and getting her life on track.

"I'm looking for a big house, with a garden and a huge garage. Three bedrooms or more."

"Why would you need three bedrooms - OH MY GOD!" The waiter next to her seemed to jump three feet in the air at her exclamation, but Annie hadn't noticed. She reached over and clutched Sharon's hand. "You're moving in with Will?"

"Yeah. Don't know when, soon. We want to get some place together - he and his ex wife bought the last one. Fresh start. Are you happy for me, Annie? You're crying."

Annie wiped her eyes with the end of her scarf. "Sweetie, I am happy. I'm crying because things are finally slotting into place for you. If anyone deserves a happily ever after, it's you."

They hugged for a little while longer and Annie ordered a bottle of champagne to split between the two of them. Sharon lent back in her chair, amazed at how relaxed she felt. It was like all the energy she had been carrying, all the hate and the guilt and the fear had been washed away with her dramatic words, the feel of Will's arms around her and having breakfast at a kitchen table with three other people.

"To the future."

"To the future!"

X

"No way are you going to win it this year."

"Really? I bet you Provenza's desk that we do."

"Hey!"

Sharon looked around from her position on the treadmill to see Provenza glaring at her. "No one touches my desk. We clear?"

Flynn shook his head and started running on his own treadmill. After the lunch with Annie, she had got a call from Andy asking if she wanted to hang out in the gym. She thought it would be just the two of them and they could talk about their fathers - but where Flynn went it seemed Provenza came too. He was doing the crossword while having an occasional conversation with Tony on the rowing machine. They were talking about kids - apparently Provenza's grandson was in the same grade as Tony's, while she and Flynn were discussing baseball.

"You won it last year, but it was a goddamn fluke. Won't happen again," Flynn stated as he ramped up his speed. Sharon matched him.

"Okay, let's look at the facts shall we? The Yankee's have had _twenty seven _World Series titles, they won an amazing game against the Phillies last year and they _will _win again."

"Sure, sure. You're not counting the thirteen losses then?"

Sharon gave him her best stare before putting the speed up on her treadmill. She missed talking baseball with anyone, Ben did his best to keep up but sport wasn't his thing. Maybe, if the Dodgers got further and the Yankees played she could go with Will and the kids to a baseball game. Or she could stuff her pride and go to a Dodgers game, as long as she got to have fun and share her favourite sport.

"Okay, let's look at the Dodgers here. Fifth rated team in the World Series, a record breaking _six wins_, the last time they held the title of course was back in 1988. _1988, _Flynn, you had colour in your hair then."

Provenza, eavesdropping on their conversation started chuckling. Flynn gave him a pointed look and just shook his head at her. "Sticks and Stones."

"In fact…1988 was the last time you guys got anywhere _close _to the final. So really you're in a twenty two year black spot. Maybe this is your year - or decade."

They continued to argue until they had finished their desired time on the treadmill and turned off the machines. They sat on them, looking at Provenza and Tony. His crossword was slowly getting filled in, and Tony was passing them all paper cups of water.

"So…how are things with you and Pope?" Provenza asked, causing Flynn to chuckle. Sharon glared at both of them, not wanting to have this conversation when it was used to mock her.

"How do you know about her and Chief Pope?" Tony asked, confused. Sharon didn't want to get into the story again, so she just sat down at the rowing machine and started it up. After receiving no answer, Tony just shook his head and pointed out an answer to Provenza, who growled and clutched the paper close to his chest. He and Flynn then exchanged glances before laughing again.

"What are you laughing at you two?" Sharon said, punctuating each word with a row. Tony had taken over the treadmill, looking at the scene with amusement. After dealing with Webster tomorrow she would fill him in completely.

Provenza looked at her, a smirk on his face. "Just imagining Chief Johnson's face when she catches you _in flagrante delicto _with Chief Pope. I'd get ear plugs, she's a screamer."

After a brief moment where everyone tried to imagine that scenario, the baseball talk resumed with Provenza chipping in and Tony supporting the Cardinals. Sharon smiled at Flynn who gave her a reassuring grin back. Things were finally settling down. It wasn't until then that she realised she had missed Flynn. And even a little bit of her had missed Provenza. Just a little.

X

She was in the process of trying to find ice cream in her freezer when the doorbell rang. After the day she had spent with other people, returning home to an empty home was less than satisfying. Moving into the hall, she opened the door and was greeted by a bouquet of flowers. Behind that was Will, smiling at her with bright blue eyes.

"Hey Sharon."

She giggled at him. "What are you doing here? We agreed that Monday through to Thursday I'd be here."

Although her tone was confused, she wasn't going to deny that seeing him wasn't wonderful. Sharon took the flowers from Will and led him to the kitchen. She found a vase and he wound his arms around her middle. Holding her tight. "They're beautiful. Why are you here?"

Will chuckled. "Because the kids are at a birthday party till eight, and I missed you," Will said sincerely, burying his face in her neck. He kissed her ear as she arranged the flowers, stroking some of the petals against her cheek. She pulled one up for Will to smell.

"I told Annie today. You know I can't wait to be with you guys all the time. I never thought I would feel this lonely."

"Well things will change when we move in together. We may stop having sex altogether," Will mused, and Sharon elbowed him in the ribs. She went back to the flowers and caught her finger on one of them; a drop of blood fell to the table. Her legs felt weak, but Will was there to hold onto her, to catch her.

"It's okay, it's just a cut."

Sharon reached up to her mouth and sucked on her finger. The taste was coppery, metallic, but it wasn't rotten. She kept sucking on her finger until Will wrapped it with a tissue. He wound it round her finger and looked at her. "Baby steps. Little steps and then everything will be okay."

"Want me to throw you in with a tank of spiders?"

"Vampire," he threw back, causing her to giggle.

"Guess I better break out that corset."

Will groaned into her neck as he caressed her with his mouth. Their heads rested side by side as she clung onto him. He kissed her gently before they went into the sitting room with the flowers and laid together, discussing the LAPD, the house they wanted and the love they both shared.


	17. Chapter 17

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings_

**Chapter Seventeen**

_She had__ never had that knock on the door. _

_As cops you gave that knock; you were behind the door and holding back your own emotions to get what was required. Boyfriends, girlfriends, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, kids, husbands, wives - they all open that door. Maybe they were expecting that call, maybe they were just wanting a neighbour to drop by, a package they had been wanting to get from a delivery service. _

_They delivered the news that everyone hates. _

_Typical procedure. You ask them their name. You show them your badge. Depending on the reaction, you don't say your department. You all head inside, settle down on the lounge furniture and they let you ask your questions. Some pick up on it quicker than others. A lot just want to know that their loved ones are okay, that they're in for questioning or are at some hospital with a broken leg after a hit and run which is linked to a robbery which is why you are there. They don't want to believe that it isn't a hospital room they will be visiting carrying grapes, but going to the morgue with flowers to leave on a fresh grave. _

_I'm sorry, but the person you care for was found dead some time today._

_Shouting, screaming, wailing, crying. Flynn was punched once for telling a man that his daughter was dead, had been found raped and dumped. You could never tell what someone's reaction was going to be, whether they would weep into your shoulder or stare at you, numb. Some officers got over the notification quickly, some drew it out. With some it would stick with them, others would just brush it off, another day._

_They would be of more help, catching the bastard behind it. _

_Working in FID had meant doing the harshest of notifications. How were you supposed to tell someone that the people who were meant to protect them were actually behind the incident, the reason why their loved one was gone? She had been spit on, she had given comfort, she had been invited into prayer. Not all her notifications were for deaths, some of them were for injuries. Even so, they eyed the badge like it would bite them, hurt them. _

_When it came to her notifications, it had. _

_Throughout her life, she had never been given that notification. Never had to be a civilian hearing that knock on the door, so innocent. She had never been a police officer and had to see a familiar uniform, a familiar badge and realise that she couldn't protect her own. That her badge and her gun couldn't save the ones she loved. But then she had never opened her heart especially wide._

_Now that it was, she hesitated by every door, by every ringing phone. _

X

He had been thinking. Not really deep thinking, just passing thoughts in the car, or while pressing the button on the coffee maker. Nothing too deep. Just his future. He could see the office, the big desk with the secretary outside. He could see the podium, the microphone in front of him where he would make his speeches. In fact it wasn't different from the memories he held, just the rank would be different.

_Chief of Police_

No longer _Assistant _Chief William Pope, but _Chief_. The rank, the responsibility. He had ideas what the LAPD needed to do, how to secure in the public mind that they were worth paying their taxes. A reshuffle of the departments, weeding out those in rank who had used money and sex to get where they were. A department worthy of the people of Los Angeles. He could do it, he had the ambition and the drive and the love of justice that every Chief _needed_. He sort of had the respect of the officers under his command. There were those who got away with workplace murder under his nose, and he knew he had to try better.

Will Pope looked in the mirror and wondered if the future LAPD Chief was staring back at him.

"DAD BRENDAN STOLE THE PRIZE IT WAS MY TURN!"

Shaking his head, Will straightened his tie and rushed down the stairs to pull his children apart. Caitlin was looking out for him at the doorway to the kitchen, and Brendan was standing on his chair, holding the cereal prize aloft in his hand.

"Okay, what is going on?" Will asked, scooping his hands underneath his son's armpits and putting him down off the table and onto the floor. He held his hand out straight and Brendan gave him the prize with a grumble. Will shook his head - the officers at the LAPD were child's play compared to his two children.

"Brendan stole the prize!"

"Did not!"

"Did too! It was my turn for the prize!"

Will turned the object over in his hands. It was a small troll doll, something worthless but cheap enough to make to stick in cereal packets. His children were fighting over something so small, something that in a week they would forget about when the new toy came into their lives. He wondered what he could do for a moment, he couldn't act like Solomon over such a small a toy, Caitlin would not be impressed with a headless doll, she probably would cry.

There was a knock on the door, and both Caitlin and Brendan rushed to answer it. Will wondered what had got them acting so crazy, and as he walked after both his children he felt he had an answer. She made him crazy too.

"Hey," he greeted, seeing Sharon Raydor on his doorstep. She was wearing a little make up, nothing too radical and a trouser suit, very straight laced. Very much like the woman who had come on the scene of Gabriel's shooting all those months ago. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since they had been at loggerheads, since Will had loathed the woman in front of him. Now he loved her, was creating a life for the two of them with his two toy fighting kids as well.

She was nervous, and he welcomed her inside. Caitlin grabbed her hand and took her to the kitchen, making her sit down. He had wondered if she would be by today, he knew if he had to stand in front of the man who had tried to kill him, he would want a little support from the person he loved too.

"Daddy said you were going to Court today," Caitlin explained, reaching up to put some bread in the toaster. Will smiled as he watched his family at work; the two kids seemed to behave when Sharon was around. A great reason for having her move in, as well as for her legs and smile and the way she made his palms go all sweaty.

"What did you do?" Brendan asked by the fridge, eyeing the toy in his father's hands. Caitlin gave him a look as she reached to get the butter.

Sharon giggled. "I didn't do anything Brendan, someone else did and we're trying to put him in jail today. We're going to see if we can try him for all the things he's done, but I'm not too sure if we'll be able to."

Brendan nodded and watched as his sister put a plate of buttered toast in front of Sharon. Will poured her a cup of coffee and the two children joined them up the table, finishing the soggy cereal they had left in favour of a troll fight.

"It'll be fine baby, you'll kick ass and Webster will go to jail for what he did," Will said, kissing her on the cheek. She smiled as she took a sip of her coffee, her hands shaking. As she put them down, Will reached for her hand and held it tight. Of course that meant letting go of the toy and Brendan's hand was immediately upon it.

"Dad!" Caitlin screamed, and Will winced. Now he remembered why he had decided not to give Tommy a sibling with Jean.

Brendan shook his head at his sister and put the troll in front of Sharon. She looked down at the toy, with its scraggy pink hair and little troll body and she smiled. It was an ugly little thing, but it made tears spring to her eyes.

"For good luck," he explained, smiling softly.

Will glanced at his watch for a moment and gave a look to the two kids. "Go upstairs and get ready for school, or all prizes will go to Sharon for now on."

The two of them giggled as Will made scooting motions. Caitlin ran straight up the stairs to find her clothes, but Brendan ran back to the kitchen and hugged Sharon, clinging onto her. Will watched as she did so too, holding onto the boy for dear life. As he followed his sister up the stairs, Will wrapped two hands around Sharon and felt her shaking.

"You're scared of Webster, why?"

"Other than he tried to kill me?"

"Other than that, yeah."

Sharon looked at him, her fingers on his wrist. "I'm worried about Jimmy. He may have gone for me, but he actually shot him. I'm worried that if the charges don't go through for him and me then he's going to lose it. You should have seen him yesterday, he was shaking all over. I've never seen him so angry."

"We'll see what happens. But either way, he will go down for a long time. If you have to have two trials, then so be it. But Sharon, that bastard will get the justice that is coming to him. And you'll get the love that's coming to you," Will nuzzled her neck and she giggled, batting him away.

"You, sir, are determined to get me into bed."

He looked at her, his eyes so close to her that there was nearly two Sharon Raydor's in front of him. Putting aside that horny thought and just smiling at her, he stroked her face. "You are a beautiful woman Sharon. And you're mine." He grinned. "How could I not always want you?"

The kids insisted that Will take them to school that morning, and that Sharon had to join them. The two adults agreed and as they were dropped outside their school, Brendan and Caitlin kissed both of them goodbye.

"I think they're going to be okay with you moving in," Will announced. "They miss their mom, and unlike Estelle you give a damn. And, unlike Estelle, you get the job and you get me. Should have dated a cop sooner."

"But then you would have ended up with a Southern Belle instead."

The look Will gave her made her feel incredible. "I'd rather have a Yankees fan than a Southern Belle any day. And for a Dodgers fan that's quite a statement."

X

Today she had driven herself. Flynn wasn't sure if that was a good idea, in fact he knew it was a bad one. As soon as he had got the rambling answer phone message, he had headed straight out to Stroh's residence. Seeing the broken window he had headed inside. The layout was fairly simple, a small property with even smaller rooms. The front room was bigger than your standard type for that accommodation, and that was where he found her.

She was flat on her back, her arms crossed over herself as if in prayer. Her blonde hair surrounded her like a halo, and Andy was reminded of an angel. An angel with the biggest handbag known to man, a voice as shrill as any ex wife of his and mood swings like that of a child. More like Rosemary's Detective.

"Chief? Are you trying to get a splinter?" Flynn asked, observing her on the harsh wooden floor.

She looked up at him and shook her head. "You got my message then?"

"_Hello….is this thing workin'? Lieutenant Flynn, I'm heading back to Stroh's house…dammit is this thing working…_that one Chief?"

She frowned at him and sat up. "How many women do you think he's raped on this floor?" Her voice and her eyes were absent; she was thinking rather than concentrating. Andy suddenly felt disgusted even standing in the house.

"I don't know Chief, maybe none. Tao and SID went all over this place, and they found nothing - Chief I think you gotta let it go, there is nothing in Stroh's house!"

Just as he said those words, there was a creak above them on the floorboards. Flynn had never seen her move so fast, remove the gun from her handbag and run up the stairs. He cursed, pulled his own gun from his holster and ran up the stairs after her.

As soon as they had hit the landing they cleared each room, starting with the spare bedroom, the bathroom and then moving into the master bedroom. Andy was still in the bathroom when he heard a gasp in the silent house and moved straight into the bedroom after her. He didn't know what to expect, whether it was Stroh or whether it was a cat. He looked through and saw just an empty room; all the furniture was just gone - probably stolen by locals.

Brenda was sitting underneath the window, looking into the centre of the room. Her gun was still in her hand, pointing outwards. Andy looked down to where she was looking, by his feet. There was a small piece of paper, although he was reluctant to pick it up, not knowing what it would be. He crouched down; it was a flyer for a missing girl. A missing girl in a different county, not Los Angeles. Brown hair, old enough to be of interest to Stroh.

"She went missing the day after he left town."

Andy looked at her. "Coincidence. They plaster those flyers all over the place, hoping the girl ended up trying to act in the city. She's probably working as a waitress somewhere."

"Or lying in a ditch covered in Stroh."

He shook his head, but his fingers didn't move to cover the flyer, to rip it up. It could be a ploy of Stroh's, an attempt to get them to look for a girl that had no connection to him. Some killers wanted to be caught, to need the justice of the system to prevail so they could finally stop. But Stroh wasn't like that, he had come within the jaws of the LAPD and he had escaped.

No one was looking for him anymore apart from Brenda Leigh Johnson. Even Hannibal Lecter had contacted Starling in the end because he got his rocks off on the chase. Stroh was messing with Brenda, pulling the strings of her heart and making them tight so she couldn't breathe. As long as she was in his grip he would be happy, as he performed to an audience.

In his pocket he pulled out a pair of latex gloves, pulling them over his hands and picking up the paper. He didn't have anything apart from that, he would have to call Tao and get him to bring an evidence bag to protect the scene and the evidence. Then, after that they could trace the girl and see if she was still missing. Or burn the whole thing, and let Stroh wither away in their minds.

Andy wondered if he had the same evidence, a link to the UCLA killer and he wondered whether he would burn it or use it.

He would track down that bastard, and beat him with a piece of lead pipe until he bled for forgiveness. His thoughts made him feel rotten, disgusted.

But he could see the same thoughts in her eyes.

X

They were waiting at the Court house for her. Tony was wearing sunglasses in the cold February sun, Simon was wrapped up warm with what looked like three scarves, and Claudia was smoking a cigarette, her fingers trembling. A cab opened a little down the street, and out piled Jimmy. His eyes were dark, his clothes dishevelled. He joined them, before turning to Claudia.

"Can I?" He pointed to her cigarette packet, and she gave him one. Jimmy lit the stick with his own lighter, inhaling deeply. Sharon had always seen Jimmy as the good guy, the helpful jock in high school. Now he looked hyped up on drugs, smoking the cigarette like it was oxygen.

"We all ready?" Harrison came up behind them and put an arm around Sharon's shoulders. They were led into the courtroom, where they sat behind Harrison at the Prosecution table. They quietly waited for the judge and Webster to be brought in.

Sharon squeezed Jimmy's hand. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm great Captain."

Simon put a smile on his face and punched Jimmy's arm lightly. "Hey, how's that girlfriend of yours?"

Jimmy looked vacant, and he just shrugged. "I don't know, haven't talked to her for a while. She'll understand, she knows what it's like to be stressed."

She squeezed his hand harder, wanting to reach out and comfort the young man in any way she could. She had never been in Court for her own reasons before, the divorce that she and Sam had been granted was done with Wendell acting on her behalf, she had just signed the papers and passed them on. The attempted murder charge that was floating around meant little to her. She had a focus, to prosecute him for using his badge to act recklessly. But with Jimmy it _was _personal. He had the scar to prove it.

Webster came in, with his family behind him. His mother was crying, while his father just looked angry. Angry that his position and money couldn't erase his son's actions. He had probably been covering for his son for a long, long time. The court doors opened at the back and several police officers came in from Webster's old unit, some of them Sharon remembered including Danson from the police ball. He gave her a side look and an obscene gesture, and Claudia responded with her middle finger.

"Prick."

"Amen to that."

Webster caught her gaze for a minute. Like Jimmy his face had become hollow, and full of hate. She nodded to him before he sat down. The judge soon entered the room. He was old, with greying hair and a frown. He sat down at the table before speaking to the court.

"Alright….Jake Webster it says here you are being charged by the good state of California for the attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon of Charlie Grundy, the attempted murder of Sharon Raydor and the assault with a deadly weapon of Jimmy Beatie. How do you plead?"

Webster's lawyer stood up and addressed the judge. "On behalf of my client we wish to have two of the charges dropped and one pending a jury's decision your honour."

The judge seemed amused. "Oh and why is this counsellor?"

The lawyer, who Sharon instantly disliked, smiled like a snake. "My client does not deny wishing harm to Captain Raydor, and will plead guilty to attempted assault. But murder was not on my clients mind when that incident occurred. As for the assault of Sergeant Beatie, that was an accident…"

"While carrying out the attack on Captain Raydor your honour!" Harrison snapped.

"Be that as it may, your honour, all these charges are tainted because of FID's involvement with all three! We wish to plead guilty to the attempted assault of Sharon Raydor, and the two other assaults were not pre meditated, one was accidental and one is circumstantial and out of the chain of evidence."

Claudia snarled. "You shot Grundy because he was flirting with your fucking girlfriend!"

Sharon rolled her eyes while Harrison hissed in her direction to keep quiet. The judge also gave her a warning glance, and Claudia mimed zipping up her lip. His honour looked at the papers in front of him, and turned to Webster.

"Jake Webster, you had a badge which was supposed to be used for upholding the law. I can see in this court room that there are police officers on both sides of this. The assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder of Charlie Grundy will stand, and you will be subject to a jury of your peers. As the cases are linked after the fact, the charges of the attempted murder of Sharon Raydor will have to be brought up at another trial. As will the assault with a deadly weapon of Jimmy Beatie. When this trial begins with jury selection next Monday we will be dealing with the case of Charlie Grundy. But be warned Mister Simmons, I will not allow perjury in my court. Dismissed."

Jimmy looked blank, while Simon put his head in his hands. "We're screwed, aren't we? You two won't be able to testify and when the new trial comes around he'll just walk through that. Fuck me he's going to walk."

Webster gave them a little mock salute as he was taken out. Jimmy ran out, not wanting to be around anyone. FID were moving down the aisle of the courtroom when Danson caught them.

"Sorry to hear about this, I really am. It does show that officer justice does prevail though. You protect your own."

Sharon looked at Danson and nodded. "You're right, we do." She gave a smile before kneeing Danson in the crotch, causing him to double up in pain. "He shot one of my officers, and I will try with every breath in my body to get the justice that Jimmy deserves."

FID walked out with their backs straight and their heads held high.

X

"Hey, you guys up for a ride?"

Provenza cocked one eye open and groaned to himself. He looked up to see the Assistant Chief and his annoying persevering grin of his. He was napping, something was going down with the Chief and Tao but she hadn't made it known and he didn't have the energy to pry. He just wanted to do his crossword, followed by a nice nap.

"Sorry Chief?"

Will coughed and looked towards him. "A ride along, get us all out there, you know! Like what we tried to do last year."

Provenza rolled his eyes and muttered as he took his jacket off of his chair. "Because that went _so _well last time."

They found Flynn pacing outside the forensics labs, and despite his assurances that he was busy; Provenza hooked him around the neck and brought him on their ride along. They used Flynn's car, which Provenza noted smelt like the Chief. He sat up front, while Pope sat in the back, happy to be involved. It was only when they started on their journey did the awkwardness set in, and all three men had the sight of Sharon Raydor straddling the Assistant Chief in their mind.

Oddly, it was only Will Pope who had the smile on his face.

"How about we head up onto Sepulveda, have a look at some of the big neighbourhoods."

"Don't feel like looking at gang territory today Chief?" Provenza smirked, and Flynn shook his head. "What are you so scared of Flynn?"

"You weren't there when Broker came in. I'm so glad we're in MCU."

They drove for a bit, going through the streets and nodding to people walking around who seemed glad of the police presence. Provenza was not liking the top down, his tie and hair was blowing all over the place.

"Flynn can't you put the top up?"

"The top came extra. Too expensive."

"You and your piece of junk cars."

Pope chuckled at the back at the two of them, and the officers up top exchanged glances. Sitting back with his hands behind his head, Provenza turned to talk to Pope. "So…Chief….who was better in bed, Captain Raydor or Chief Johnson?"

His face instantly fell and Flynn chuckled up front. To be honest he had been asking himself the very same question. Pope was silent at the back. "I refuse to answer that."

Provenza began to chuckle again before turning to Flynn, winking. "You know I always thought Chief Johnson would be better. So animated, so lively, so easy to piss you off and please you at the same time. Raydor always came over as cold, frigid….although after seeing her at your house Chief I have to say that she's a bit more of a slut than I gave her credit for."

Both of the men began to laugh until Pope squeezed their shoulders tightly, digging his fingers in. "Lieutenant Provenza….Lieutenant Flynn….that happens to be the woman I love, the woman I am planning to live with. If you ever call her a slut again then I won't use any administrative bullshit to make your lives a living hell. I will hurt you."

The two men quietened down as the Chief sat back in his seat. He turned to the two men, and smiled. "There is nothing like sex with love, Lieutenants."

Flynn grinned from the driver's seat. "Raydor?"

He nodded. "That and she is so damn hot she makes my head hurt."

The three men began to laugh as they turned into another street, this one a little more rundown. They continued to drive, the houses still nice and the lawns still well kept.

"So you two are moving in together, huh?"

Will was about to lean forward and explain about the places he had been looking at when the black SUV behind them drew down their windows and Provenza caught sight of a gun. That's when the bullets started flying.

X

She had spent most of the day sitting in her office, scrolling through estate agent listings that Annie had emailed her. She had sent Claudia and Simon on the one officer involved shooting they had, and decided to ignore the paperwork mounting on her desk. The day had gone worse than she had predicted, and the idea of going back to her empty house, to stare at the ceiling with the swirling feeling of failure in her veins was not comforting.

"Hey Captain? Jimmy is on the roof, I think you need to talk to him."

Sharon nodded at Tony before gathering her jacket and headed up after her youngest officer. True enough, he was looking out onto the city with one of Claudia's cigarettes in his hand. She approached him but did not touch him; she just stood next to him, looking over the darkening city.

"You know I knew we would have to split the charges. But he's going to walk; our testimony is not going to be enough."

His voice echoed on the empty rooftop, and it made Sharon shiver. She rubbed Jimmy's back before turning to him. "It's okay, I've got a plan. FID may not be able to be objective, but if we present the case to someone else to examine, say like Major Crimes, then we should be okay."

He cocked a small smile. "Think they'll do it?"

"They will, I'll talk to some people. It's going to be okay, Jimmy, it's going to be okay. Believe in the justice system, believe in your badge. Webster didn't and look where he is."

They stood there over the city for a moment before Jimmy spoke up again, brushing his hair back. "So you and Flynn…you changing your mind on co workers?"

Sharon giggled. "My private life is none of your concern Sergeant Beatie, but Flynn and I are not dating. We're just friends again, and I like it. You need friends, I hope that when I retire that you, Claudia, Simon and Tony are still as close as you are now. Not like me, Flynn, Provenza and Andrews. We all broke apart. Plus it wasn't co workers; it was the chain of command. Put your chin up and go back to that girl of yours. Stop chasing after me mister Beatie or I may have to re-enact what happened with Danson in the Court house."

He chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. "You can't blame me. When you've been in love with someone for as long as I have, it's hard to let go."

He continued to chuckle, but Sharon just stood there, the words making her skin shiver. She should have dealt with this a while ago but she hadn't, and now she was regretting it. Thankfully at that point Tony came rushing onto the roof and caught her by the arm.

"I just heard from one of the officers while I was in the men's - there was a shooting on Sepulveda, a car of gang members shot at a car of plains clothes officers."

"Oh my god, was anyone hurt?" Sharon asked, but she could see from Tony's face that it wasn't good.

"In the car were Flynn, Provenza and Chief Pope."

She didn't even wait, she ran straight off the roof and down the stairs. All the while her mind was screaming the mantra _no no no not him no!_

X

Taylor wondered if there would ever be a normal day working at the LAPD, or whether he could still go back to playing jazz in his brother's bar. There were two ambulances at the back of the scene, with the road cordoned off and the remains of Lieutenant Flynn's car being examined by SID. Buzz was videotaping everything, Gabriel and Sanchez was controlling the officers going over the scene.

A motorbike drew up on the other side of the road where all the vehicles were parked. Ross pointed it out to him, interested to see who the visitor to the crime scene was. Without even knowing, Taylor had a very bad feeling about the mystery rider. True enough, when the figure pulled off their helmet it was indeed Captain Sharon Raydor. Leaving her helmet and jacket by her bike, she ran across the road and met them at the crime scene tape.

"Captain Raydor the officers didn't fire back, I think you should go back to Parker Centre and concentrate on the Webster case, we've got it all sorted out here."

She frowned at him, her eyes raw with anger but he could see that they were going to overspill with tears. Taylor took her by the arm over to the other end of the crime scene. "What the hell do you think you are doing Captain? The average police officer, although this may be news to you, isn't stupid and one of them is going to figure out why you are here."

"Taylor…."

He waved his hand, wanting to continue uninterrupted. "If he wants to be Chief one day, he can't be having an affair with someone in Internal Affairs. Plus everyone knows how susceptible he is, what if by doing some 'innocent' pillow talk he asked you to let someone off the hook, like Gabriel? I know I don't like your goddamn methods but corruption is still a part of this force. They could over turn your cases. This could ruin both your careers, whether it's part of the chain of command or not."

Sharon nodded and looked at him, keeping her emotions under control. "How did you find out? Flynn or Provenza told you?"

Taylor shook his head, sighing to himself loudly. "I saw you two holding hands at the staff meeting, not very discreet. And I can't believe Flynn and Provenza even know…listen I don't know what's going on, and I don't want to know. Just for both of your sakes, leave."

"Is he okay? No one has told me anything, I don't know whether he is in one piece or going onto an operating table…" she began to hyperventilate, and Taylor squeezed her shoulder, realising that he had made a mistake in his treatment of her. She knew the risks of having a relationship with Will Pope, but she didn't care. Someone she cared for was hurt. He could understand that.

"He was shot in the shoulder, Flynn and Provenza arguing over the wheel managed to save them. They're both alright. Chief Pope is okay. Go home."

Sharon nodded, not liking being rejected so forcefully by Taylor. She looked over to the ambulances and could see Flynn and Provenza being treated in one for scrapes and bruises. She didn't know where Will was. She walked along the edge of the crime scene tape as Taylor talked to Gabriel. Ross was directly in line with the ambulances.

"Didn't know you and Flynn were back together," he mused. Why did everyone think that her and Flynn were back together? She had friendships with both Will and Flynn and yet everyone thought it was the opposite one that she was dating. Maybe it was because they didn't think she'd be involved with Chief Johnson's cast offs.

"I'm actually sleeping with Provenza. He's such a tender lover."

Ross looked disgusted, and Sharon felt her skin crawl as she said the words. But as another detective distracted Taylor, Sharon pushed the tape up and slid under. Taylor was concerned with bullet holes, so she managed to sneak up to the ambulance. Will was lying on a bed, his arm being treated by the paramedics. His face was pale, but when he caught sight of Sharon his entire face lit up.

"Sharon…"

She clamoured on the ambulance and looked at Will, her chest beginning to heave with emotion. She kissed his cheek and pressed one hand against his head. "I've made a decision, you're going to stay in that office of yours and never leave it."

"As long as you join me I don't see a problem with that."

They laughed for a moment until the pain came back and Sharon held his hand. She kissed his fingertips. "Do me a favour baby - pick the kids up from school, bring them to the hospital. I want my family there, all of you. I love you."

They kissed again before the paramedics announced they had to take him to hospital. Sharon hopped down from the ambulance, wanting to go with him but knowing she was better off taking Caitlin and Brendan to see their father. As the ambulance drove away, Taylor walked up to her. Flynn and Provenza joined them, strangely behind her.

"Be careful Captain, you could ruin a lot of careers here."

Flynn looked at Taylor, both of the men taking a step forward so they were right behind her. "It's love, Taylor."

"They're moving in and everything."

Flynn put a hand on Sharon's shoulder. "So back off, yeah? And be an old romantic. It is Valentine's Day on Sunday."

Taylor shook his head and moved over to talk to Gabriel. Sharon mouthed thank you at the two of them. As she headed out of the crime scene, she felt that despite the nervousness she was feeling, things were finally starting to turn around with her and Major Crimes. They could beat Webster and Will would be alright. Now she just had to tell a nine and ten year old that their father had been shot.

X

She hadn't seen it very well that morning, but now Sharon had a great look at the school that Caitlin and Brendan were attending. The school was not posh, but it wasn't exactly like the school's she had ended up going to. She had borrowed Tony's truck after she had called him nearly in tears from the road side. She watched as Caitlin and Brendan walked out of the school, the two siblings standing awfully close to one another. There were some older boys standing on the corner, shouting things to them both. Caitlin was about to say something when Brendan caught her hand and they ran. His eyes had glimpsed her, and they rushed to her side just as the boys followed.

"You boys got a problem?" Sharon asked, looking at the boys who had ran after Brendan and Caitlin.

"No ma'am," one of the boys stuttered. Sharon had moved her hands apart to splay her jacket, and somewhat accidentally reveal her badge and gun.

As the boys walked off, Caitlin reached around her waist and hugged her. "Dad didn't say that you were going to pick us up, how did things go in Court this morning?"

Brendan's face showed that his brain had already realised what had gone on. "Is Dad okay?"

Sharon opened the door to Tony's truck and gave the two a lift up into the seats. She got in the truck with them and turned, wanting to see both of them. "Your Dad was doing a ride along with two detectives that I know really well. They got into some trouble, and your Dad got injured. He's in hospital now, but everyone assures me that he's going to be fine."

Caitlin started crying, and Sharon reached over to hold her hand. "It's going to be okay, your Daddy is going to be fine. We're going to go see him in hospital now and get some nice things for him. He's going to be okay."

"Promise?"

Brendan shook his head at his sister. "She can't, she's not a doctor, she's a cop like Dad. But Tommy is going to be a doctor and we trust Tommy so Dad will be fine."

Sharon had never been more proud of anyone, even if his logic was a little wonky. They drove to the hospital in record time, and they managed to keep everything together once they found out which room Will was in. Sharon then took them to the gift shop to get some things for their Dad, including a magazine, some juice and some grapes. Sharon also bought them both a magazine and a chocolate bar. As they were walking up to see Will, it occurred to Sharon that Tommy would want to know. She'd get his number off of Will later.

Inside the hospital room, Will was lying down with a bandage over his shoulder, his chest completely bare and his face still pale. Sharon knocked on the door, and Will grinned as he saw his two young children and the woman he loved. Brendan and Caitlin rushed in but stopped a few feet short of his bed.

"Dad did you get shot?" Brendan asked.

Will groaned as the nurse cleaned he wound. "Yeah I did son, but the doctors say everything is going to be okay, it was a clean hit."

Brendan reached up to hug his Dad and Caitlin gave him a kiss. Sharon dragged two seats for them to sit by their father and show him the things they had bought for him. Brendan seemed entranced by what the nurse was doing to his father; while Caitlin was tucked under her father's other shoulder, avoiding looking.

"Thank you Sharon."

He could see her legs getting a little weak at the sight of his blood - although she had got used to little shaving cuts, this was something else entirely. Will caught her hand and she kissed him on the lips, rubbing his chin. "I meant what I said Pope, don't you ever do this to me again."

They kissed again, and Caitlin moved entirely off of her seat to lie next to her father. Sharon took her seat, trying to calm her legs. Brendan was about to climb over his father to get a better look when Sharon pulled him down and gave him the chocolate bar he had picked in the gift shop. The nurse needed to do her job without Brendan getting in the way. Although it now looked as if someone else in the Pope family was somewhat interested in medicine.

"Hey, listen you two. You won't be able to stay here overnight, and you have got school tomorrow. I'll be in overnight so they can make sure my arm doesn't turn green….not that it will honey!" Will added at the sight of Caitlin's scared expression. "So Sharon is going to take you home and look after you for the night, okay?"

"She should just live with us Dad, she spends more time at our house then she does in hers."

"I like that idea. Sharon and me can play dolls and she and Brendan can play catch and you and Sharon can be happy," Caitlin grinned, clinging to her father.

"And all lovey dovey," Brendan wrinkled his nose.

"Well I did ask Sharon to move in a couple of weeks ago when we were in New York. So if you guys would like her to live with us, then I think she wants to too."

Both of them looked towards her, excited, and Sharon reached over to tousle Brendan's hair. "How could I ever turn up the chance to be with you guys?"

The nurse left them be, and the four of them sat and talked for a while, planning about things and talking about new houses. Brendan moved around to look at his father's shoulder better, and Sharon held Will's hand. Later on, when the two young children were getting sleepy and were sitting on the floor reading their magazines, Sharon joined Will on the bed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know what I would have done if you had died."

Will kissed the top of her head and entangled both their hands. "I don't know either. Sharon I love you, you're a Pope now name or not."

"I wouldn't mind being a Pope," Sharon teased, running a hand up and down his chest. "But we do need to talk about what happens when we tell everyone we're dating. Can I tell Brenda?"

"No."

"Please….just after we've had sex on her desk?"

Will snorted before giving her another light kiss. "I don't know what the future holds Sharon, what it holds for our careers and us finding a new place but I know that I love you, and those kids love you and we're a family. That's all that matters."

When the nurse came in an hour later to announce the end of visiting hours, she found Sharon asleep on Will's good shoulder, and the two children in the two chairs debating with a pen whether they should sign their father's bandage or not.

X

Brenda was sitting in her desk, munching on her third bar of chocolate for the evening. There was a knock on her door and she put the remains of the bar back in her drawer. Flynn came in, looking slightly worse for wear with a bandage on his cheek.

"Oh my god Lieutenant, what happened?"

She pulled her chair back and went around to look at him. He pushed her away and dug his hands into his pockets. "It's okay Chief; we got involved in a shooting. But we're alright, Chief Pope is in the hospital but his girlfriend is with him."

"WHAT? Chief Pope is in the hospital? _Chief Pope has got a girlfriend_?

Flynn took one of the seats opposite her desk. "We got shot at by a gang; you were down at SID all day. We're all fine, Pope took a bullet in the shoulder but he's okay. His girlfriend is great though, she's sweet and the kids seem to like her. I saw them not half an hour ago."

Brenda sat on the edge of her desk, looking quite put out. "Nobody tells me anything around here."

He looked at her before pulling something out of his pocket. She recognised Tao's handwriting. "Tao sent this up with me. He thought it would be best if I told you."

She crossed over her legs and fumbled with her hands. "What is it?"

"The missing girl was found, alive. She had been kidnapped by an ex boyfriend, the police force managed to track her down. There was nothing on the paper, no prints, no trace, nothing. Chief - Stroh isn't coming back. He got away. You need to accept that."

As she started crying in her office, Flynn held her, letting her get his suit all wet. She wasn't sure whether she was crying over letting Stroh go, or the faint hope now gone that the girl would have been found with all the markings of Stroh on her. He rubbed her back and managed to dig into her drawer for a chocolate bar to pass her. They stood there for what seemed like hours, this event only adding to an already horrible day. Flynn wondered if he would be able to take his own advice.

Outside in the office he watched Brenda pack up her bag and head out back home. He pulled out his desk drawer and found the cardboard folder that had haunted him for a long time. There were a pack of matches buried somewhere in there, and he managed to find and strike one. He looked at the burning flame for a moment, getting lost in the yellow. He moved his hand and the match to the corner of the paper. He remembered all the things in that folder, all the faces that haunted him because they had not received their justice.

He blew the match out.


	18. Chapter 18

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings. _

**Chapter Eighteen**

_She remembers being six years old. At six, all her friends at school were having lavish parties thrown by their mothers, with balloons and party hats and all their friends in pretty party dresses. She had been to all the ones her friends had thrown, not in the pretty pink and white frocks their mother had placed them in, but dungarees with little clowns on the pocket, and an oversized LAPD baseball cap. _

_For her seventh birthday, she didn't want to be surrounded by more girls in pretty dresses; eating cake and playing pass the parcel. She didn't want to have to sit through the clown's performance, laugh at the jokes and be in awe of the magic. She didn't want to act like she was happy when she felt like screaming. There would be no mother to help her blow out her candles, no one to help her pick out her dress and play with the dolls she would get from her friends._

_When she had got in from school on her seventh birthday, there was a chorus of 'SURPRISE' from her living room. She had asked her father for a quiet evening in, not a party. As she turned the corner she hoped to see none of her school friends, and indeed there were none. Instead there was her father, and her stuffed animals around a party table with all her favourite foods. She was swept up into her father's arms, and they sat and ate party rings and sausage rolls with her stuffed animals. She opened her presents in her dungarees, and spent the night watching television in her oversized police officer's hat and toy gun on her hip._

_After that surprises had been a mix of the good and the bad. It had been a surprise to move from LA to New York, but one that she welcomed. It had been a surprise that the school bad boy felt as much for her as she did for him. It had been a surprise to see her father's dead body on the cold kitchen floor. It had been a surprise when Sam had hit her the first time. It had been a surprise when he apologised and promised it would never happen again. It had been a surprise when he had burnt her when she had flirted with another man. It had been a surprise when he had whipped her back for the first time. _

_Eventually the pain became less of a surprise; more the absence of it was shocking. _

_Throughout her life surprises became less and less. The media talked about the desensitisation of violence to the world, and she couldn't help but agree. She had stopped throwing up at crime scenes years ago, had stopped looking down at dead bodies and being surprised about what humans did to each other. _

_However, sometimes she was surprised. Webster had surprised her by going against his badge and ruining everything she stood for. Will surprised her by loving her, by accepting her and wanting to get to know her despite all the evidence against it. Flynn constantly surprised her, by leaving Robbery Homicide for Major Crimes, by once hating her and then opening up and returning to their previous friendship. _

_Opening herself up instead of closing down had made life less predictable, less rinse and repeat. _

_And she loved it. _

X

Brenda was in the kitchen, staring at little Joel eating up his dinner. She still missed Kitty, but little Joel was so cute that she couldn't help deny that she liked having him in the house. He was more Fritz' cat than hers, and Brenda didn't doubt that if they had to go to the vets for any reason, his name would be Joel Howard. Which was a good thing, she mused, as Joel Johnson sounded like a bad singer from the eighties.

Fritz came in and saw her sitting there; eating some of the pastries she had bought earlier when she had gone out for a walk. He looked surprised to see her sitting in the kitchen. Well she usually was in such a rush in the morning that days certainly blurred into one. She pushed the box toward him.

"I went out early and got some pastries. You know it's so nice out there this time of year. The weather's a little cold but the sun makes you feel so warm!" Brenda explained, nibbling on her own bear claw. Her second.

Fritz opened the box slowly, before pulling out one of the doughnuts she had brought back for breakfast. He put one on a plate and moved to make himself a cup of coffee. "Didn't think I'd see you this morning."

"Well things are quiet at work; Los Angeles is certainly winding down for the day of love! Which reminds me Fritzy, how about we go out to a nice restaurant tomorrow? Make an evening of it, maybe go dancing? My treat."

She watched her husband take a sip of the coffee before he put the mug down on the sideboard and turned to her. His face did not show the happiness that she had expected - she was horrible when it came to remembering dates or planning romantic stuff, it was usually left up to Fritz to do it. His face instead was dark and troubling.

"You've been going out really early the past few mornings. Seriously early. And coming home late. I guess I'm lucky you came home at all. You know I honestly thought you were starting up your affair with Will again."

Brenda looked at him, her face contorted into shock, and more importantly, anger. "You thought I was sleeping with Will? Fritzy I love you, how dare you think that I'd jeopardise our marriage to start sleeping with Will again! It's not even an issue; Will and I are over, on both sides. Flynn told me on Tuesday that he's seeing someone."

"So he's got a girlfriend. He had a _wife _and you two still had an affair!"

She stood up and looked at him, rage running through her. The day had started out so wonderfully and now she could feel herself wanting to cry. "I am not having an affair with Will Pope."

Fritz returned to his coffee cup and looked at her. "Yeah, I know you're not. I was tired of waking up every morning to find that you weren't there, coming home every night and eating by myself. So I got up, and I followed you on Tuesday. I saw Flynn there, thought _you two_ may be having an affair. He gets under your skin in a way that only the criminals can, Brenda."

"I'm not having an affair with Flynn," Brenda whispered to the kitchen, her knees weakening. She sat down again and returned to her pasty, picking bits of the food away as something to do with her hands. She could not believe she was having this conversation with Fritz.

He nodded and sat down on the other chair. "I know Brenda, I know and I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. But that house was _Stroh's. _I had it checked, it belongs to him. I know he was the guy that got away Brenda, but you have got to let him go."

"I _know _Fritz, and I'm working on it. I was talking to Flynn and we came to a decision. I'm moving the case over to Robbery Homicide. I'm giving up on Stroh." Brenda pushed the plate away and looked at him, her body trembling. She should have told him earlier, she should have explained about the case. But she hadn't, because she knew he wouldn't understand.

Fritz took her hand, stroking the back of it. "Brenda, you remember what we talked about at Christmas? With you choosing the job over me?"

"Yes I remember. But Fritz -"

He raised a hand up at her. "I love you Brenda, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and I want our marriage to work. But we have so many obstacles in our way. You don't want kids and I don't want to spend every waking hour looking over case files. So I think we need to do something about it."

"Fritz…"

"Brenda, please." He looked at her, reaching over to grab her other hand. "I think that we need to see a marriage counsellor. I thought we could sort out these issues by ourselves but I think we need outside help."

Brenda nodded, unsure of what was happening. "Okay."

Fritz squeezed her hand and kissed her on the cheek, before returning to the other end of the table with his mug of coffee and his doughnut. Brenda continued to nibble at the bits of pastry she had pulled off, unsure what she should be feeling from Fritz' declaration. As she thought things over in her head, she realised it would have to be done, she didn't want to lose her husband.

But she really hated psychiatrists.

X

The car was a thing of beauty, and as Tommy rolled up the driveway of his old house, he felt calm. When his parents had got divorced, he and his mother had moved into a two bedroom flat in DC. When she had met Steve they had moved into his house and after his mother had got pregnant with their first child, they had moved into their current house, a huge place with a large back garden.

He had come home to pick up a few things that he hadn't taken with him when he had moved to Harvard. Tomorrow was Valentine's Day, and he was meeting with his girlfriend for a romantic dinner and a walk around the sights of DC. He was torn for how the night would end. He had the money from Steve to take his girl to a fancy hotel and spend the night together. It would be magical for her; it would just be another night for him. The other option was breaking up with her, and using the money to pay for gas and do some more driving.

He had tried to get in the swing of things at Harvard, but he couldn't get excited about medicine. Instead he had been missing lectures and going into the library to observe the Webster case in LA that Sharon was handling. He was looking at the LAPD website and listening to his father's speeches. He had even snuck into a few of the Law lectures to listen in. He wasn't sure if he wanted to do law, or be a cop or go into politics or anything like that. But he was sure he didn't want to do medicine.

"Guess I'm going to have to tell Steve that he wasted a whole year of tuition."

Tommy turned the key in the lock and headed into the hallway of his house. He didn't expect anyone home; his siblings would be at their grandparents as they did on busy weekends. His mother would be at Court, she had a busy trial going on and his step father would probably be in surgery, if not he would still be at the hospital. He had talked to his younger brother to check yesterday where everyone was going to be so he could sneak home unnoticed. However when he got into the hall, he could hear the sounds of heavy bed squeaks and moans.

"Oh dear God I never wanted to hear that."

Obviously his step father had come home early from work, or his parents had arranged a little tryst back at home. Either way, Tommy was wincing and trying not to get pictures in his head. He moved up the stairs as soft as he could and headed into his bedroom. In his backpack he put everything he would need that he didn't have there; namely matches, some money and condoms. That's when he saw the letter on his bed. He opened it up, not recognising the handwriting. It was from Sharon, his father's girlfriend.

It was postcard inside the envelope, from New York. Also inside was a photo of Sharon and his father, as well as new school photographs of Caitlin and Brendan. Tommy smiled and put them in his backpack as well. He would put them up in his room at Harvard, with the family photos he already had. He'd save the postcard for when he was back in his room, and all alone.

Moving into the hallway, Tommy tried not to eavesdrop on what was going on in his parents' bedroom. He saw a watch on the landing bookcase, it was a beautiful thing. A man's watch. It wasn't Steve's, Steve had worn the same watch for years; his parents had given it to him at his Harvard graduation. This was different, and the inscription said a completely different thing from his step father's.

_"Always yours, Sylvia."_

He wasn't going to jump to conclusions. He wasn't. But a man came out of his mother's bedroom that the watch obviously belonged to. He was wearing a pair of flimsy boxer shorts and a wide grin on his face. He looked up at Tommy holding the watch, and raised his hands in surrender.

"Take the watch my friend, take the watch. Just don't hurt me or my wife."

"She's not your wife. Friend."

The door opened again and out came his mother, Jean. She was tall, dark, beautiful. He had always loved his mother, cherished her and put her on a pedestal. His father had cheated on her with two women at least, ruined their marriage and their life together by running off with Estelle. Her mother was better than that; she had come out of a bad marriage, raised him and forged a wonderful relationship with Steve. They had three kids together, young children.

"Tommy. What are you doing home? Shouldn't you be in Boston?"

He had hated his father for years because he had abandoned his mother, had abandoned him. But as he looked at her, he saw her for what she was. Just human.

"Came by to get a few things. I'll leave you guys to it."

He threw the backpack over his shoulder, and his mother called after him. Tommy looked at her, his features sad. "I hated that man for all of my life. And yet, what did he do that you're not doing right now? Are you planning on leaving this guy and having new kids? Dad may have cheated with Brenda, but he also cheated with Estelle. They made two incredible kids, and I would say that Caitlin and Brendan, and Amy, Chase and Chloe are worth the pain of what he did. This is worthless. It's all worthless."

"Tommy!"

He walked down the stairs, knowing his mother wouldn't come after him. Tommy pulled open the front door and walked to his car, throwing his backpack in the front seat. He drove for an hour in a random direction and pulled over to the side of the road before he cried.

X

He was excited. He had pulled apart half of his closet and moved some things over into storage. He had finally sorted out the files in the study, even if it had taken him to the small hours of the morning to do. As Will Pope sat in the garden, watching his two kids kick a football around, he was happy. Incredibly nervous, but happy. Later on today, after Sharon had gone to lunch with her brother and Annie and told Ben that she was moving in, Sharon would be moving the first few boxes of her possessions into his house. Over the next week or so every time she came over to his to sleep, she would be taking a few boxes, so things could be sorted out slowly. Baby steps.

The doorbell rang and Will threw the ball to Brendan as he headed inside to see who it was. Opening the door, he saw one of the few people he had never expected to see at his house. Brenda Leigh Johnson.

"Brenda? Is everything okay? There an important case I wasn't aware of?"

He opened the door wider and she came in. She looked around the place and smiled. Will was trying to remember if Brenda had actually ever been to his house before, and couldn't recall that she had. Estelle or Fritz would have put their foot down over it. He walked her outside and introduced her to his two kids who nodded and waved, before returning to their game. Brenda took a seat on one of the loungers before Will brought her out a refreshing glass of juice. He turned to her, still unsure the reason behind her visit.

"So is everything okay? Taylor told me you had passed the Stroh case onto him."

Brenda nodded and took a sip. "I did. I realised that I was becoming too…obsessed is too strong a word…."

"I think it's accurate."

She gave him a cold stare. "Fine. Obsessed. I was becoming too obsessed by the Stroh case, and I decided to take a step back. How's your shoulder, Will?"

Will felt his hand automatically rise to his shoulder. It was sore, and he had to take what felt like a whole bottle of pills a day to keep down infection and to stop the pain. But it was getting a little better, even if Sharon had teased him that she would have to do all the heavy lifting of the move. She had been very tender with his shoulder, unlike his son. When he had had a nap yesterday afternoon, he had found Brendan poking at his shoulder with a chopstick.

"It's okay; it'll get better soon enough. What do you want to say? You look like you have something on your mind."

"Flynn said you're seeing someone."

"Flynn's right," Will admitted. He was wondering when it would come to this, when he would have to tell Brenda that he was seeing Sharon. He wondered for a moment how she would take it, whether she would be gracious or whether she would throw her toys out of her pram. Then Will remembered their pseudo promise to Wendell about the timing of their relationship. It was not just him in this, it was Sharon too. They would tell the world together, he wouldn't tell Brenda in his back garden without her. It wasn't fair.

Brenda smiled at him. "So, who is she? I'm sort of surprised you haven't told me about her."

Will looked at his kids playing for a moment before turning back to Brenda. "She's late forties, she's beautiful. I love her; I've never felt this way about any other woman. And she's moving in this weekend."

"That all? What's her name? How did you meet?"

Will sighed, wriggling in his chair. He hoped for some distraction, Brenda was a damn good detective when she put her mind to it and it wouldn't be long before she put things together like Taylor did. "Brenda, we agreed long ago that we weren't going to get involved in each other's private lives. You didn't even tell me when you got engaged to Fritz, Brenda. All you need to know is that I love this woman, and she makes me very happy."

She nodded and they both took a sip of their drinks in silence. "I'm glad Will. I really am. Fritz and me decided today…"

"GIVE IT BACK!"

Will looked over to see his kids fighting over something and he rushed to pull them apart. His kids were manic, they could work together and be friends and then turn on each other just as quickly. The phone started to ring, and Will rolled his eyes. Too much of a distraction.

"Brenda could you get that for me?" Will asked, trying to pull his kids apart. Brenda nodded and moved back into the house to find the phone. She did and answered it.

"Pope Residence?"

She could hear the sounds of Will telling his kids off back in the garden, but there was nothing on the other end of the phone. She could hear someone breathing, but no one was answering. "Hello?" The echoing tone of the phone being hung up rang in her ear.

"Everything okay?" Will asked as he came up behind her, rubbing his shoulder.

"Yeah. Cold caller. I'll see you around Will; have a good weekend with your kids."

He wondered what could have upset her as she ran as fast as she could out of the house. Will checked the caller ID, and it was a payphone in DC. _Tommy_. He considered calling him back, but if he was in DC he would soon be with his Mom and Steve, and he had enough to deal with this weekend with Sharon moving in and sunshine making his two youngest act crazy. He'd call him on Monday, see if everything was okay.

"DAD BRENDAN WON'T GIVE ME THE BALL!"

Will shook his head and moved back into the garden. He hoped Sharon was having a clearer day then he was.

X

They had ordered take out from Otto's, and were sitting in the garden. Ben was slurping his coke loudly, while Annie and Sharon were talking in whispered tones about the offers they had had on the house. The sun was beating down on them, and Sharon had taken off her shoes and kicked them halfway across the garden. It was a relaxed family affair.

"So when are you moving into Will's?" Ben asked nonchalantly, finishing up the last of his drink. Both Annie and Sharon turned to look at him. "Oh come on, you honestly think I'm that stupid? I can see the boxes you've got laying around. And I can read lips; I learned it in hospital when the nurses would whisper. So when are you moving in?"

Sharon looked at him and smiled. "Are you okay with me moving in with him and his kids? You're my brother Ben, and I love you."

Ben nodded and grinned at her. "Well Sharon you two may have had your problems, but he loves you. And for that he's worth it. It's your life girl, live it. I think that goes for all of us. We've been living so long in fear of what has happened before, that we're afraid to live."

Annie raised her plastic cup of drink to the others. "To living."

They toasted to life, before sitting down and eating more of their sandwiches. After a while, Ben turned to his sister and started shifting uncomfortably in his chair. "To that extent I've made a decision. I'm going back to New York."

Sharon dropped the cup she was drinking from, and it clattered to the floor, the contents spilling out. She looked at her brother in shock. "You can't be serious Ben."

He turned to the two most important women in his life and nodded his head. "I am. LA was never my home Sharon; it only was because you were here. We've moved in a pack the past thirty years because we were scared, because we didn't know any better. With this house Annie's career can take off. You're finally free of your ghosts, Sharon, and you're with a man who loves you. You've both found your place; I think mine is back in New York. And there's a woman who works in the public library that I would love to get to know better. Please tell me I can go Sharon."

Sharon looked startled, but moved over to kiss her brother's cheek, her tears falling. "I am going to miss you like crazy Ben, you're my brother after all. But you need to go, start living. You'll have so much fun in New York, I know you will."

They talked for a little while after dinner, discussing things and different plans. Annie had finally found a nice new boyfriend, he worked as an accountant and as was as boring as they come. But he was cute, and more importantly he was single. Ben explained a little more about the woman he was interested in, her name was Claire and she worked at the New York Public Library. Sharon told them about Will getting shot and Annie showed Ben some of the houses that her and Will were considering.

As the afternoon wore on, Ben and Annie left Sharon to do some packing. Most of her bedroom and toiletries had already been put into boxes; she was planning to live at Will's permanently from tonight, and just keep bringing stuff back to his every day in the old car that Otto had leant her. In one part of her wardrobe, Sharon found a slinky red dress that Annie had bought her for Christmas one year, but the low back had meant she had never worn it in public.

She slipped it in the suitcase she was bringing to Will's later on. He would love it, and Sharon thought she would love wearing it, and seeing his face drop as the dress did.

X

Tommy didn't know what to do. He was confused, and he understood he was at a cross roads in his life. He could go back to Boston, and attend Harvard and have sex with his girlfriend and just be a ghost in his life. He could go back to LA and see his dad, but why would he care? He was no better than that woman he called his mother. He had two new kids, and was having a relationship with Sharon but he was fucking Brenda Leigh Johnson. Some leopards never changed their spots.

Tommy could run. He had the money in his pocket to go anywhere he wanted, the money in his bank meant he could go to Europe if he so desired. He didn't have to go back to Harvard; he didn't have to go back to DC or LA. The choice was his to make.

He stood outside of the city limits, his car waiting behind him. He didn't have any reason to go back. Didn't have any reason to do anything. Back East was a life that he didn't want, a life that had been chosen for him but he had no part partaking of. Going West was more lies, more deceit. But at least that way held a fresher start, a life that didn't seem so grey.

His fingers trembled on the steering wheel, and Tommy sucked in a deep breath. He now knew what he had to do. It was so clear to him; he wondered why he hadn't thought of it before.

He started the car.

X

On her way to Will's, with a ton of her possessions in the back, Sharon got a call from Harrison Simmons, DA. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and answered the call, not liking where this was going. She had plans with Will and the kids that evening. She didn't want to think about Jake Webster until Monday morning.

"Hi Harrison: what's up?"

_"Emergency strategy meeting. At the office as quick as you can Captain_."

He was a man who chose his words well, and it was clear that he wanted her at the station as quickly as she possibly could, no room for debate or argument. So Sharon turned the car around and headed down to Parker Centre. Leaving what seemed like half her life in the boot of her car, she got the lift up to the FID offices. Outside she spotted Tony, his son in a football strip by him.

"See Harrison dragged you in too. We were just coming back from George's game."

George, Tony's ten year old son, waved at Sharon and she did the same. It wasn't long before Claudia arrived; smoking like a barbecue and Simon was on her heels, gabbling into his phone in a language she couldn't understand. Jimmy joined them, his face a little calmer than when she had left him on Friday, but not by much. Harrison eventually arrived with his teenage daughter heading to the cafeteria. Sharon felt slightly less bad; it seemed everyone was giving up something this weekend.

"Who were you talking to?" Sharon asked Simon as they piled into the offices they called home.

"Oh my dry cleaner. He doesn't speak any English, but he does speak Polish and so do I. Best dry cleaner in the city, if you speak Polish that is."

He gave her a wink as they sat down and waited for Simmons to explain what they were doing there at a weekend. "Okay, the trial starts with jury selection bright and early on Monday morning. Now I was talking to the Chief about things, and we've come up with a plan of attack. Now, as the charges against Captain Raydor and Sergeant Beatie aren't happening in this trial, then there is no need for them to testify. We have specialists concerning evidence, witnesses from other departments. Lieutenant Gabriel from Major Crimes, someone you previously investigated, is providing a character statement and a neutral assessment."

Jimmy looked at Simmons, his hands bending over each other. "So me and Captain Raydor are meant to stay in the audience while this trial goes on? He tried to kill her."

Simmons ignored the choice of words. If there was something that he was good at, it was picking up turns of phrase and seeing how they fitted into the big picture. It made him an incredible lawyer. He glanced at Sharon before continuing on with his speech. "Yes I know this will be tough. I know you have problems with him, personal problems which is why I can't let you present this case. In fact I only need one person to represent FID's findings. I have lab technicians and witnesses to do the rest. I need someone who can be impartial, who can present the facts as they stand, without bias."

"Okay," Sharon nodded. "Who do you want?"

Harrison looked at Sharon. "I want Simon."

The people in the room, the ones that didn't laugh at any rate, looked at Harrison like he had lost his mind. Even Simon looked bemused. "Sir…I think I'm the last person you want to be doing this. I giggle. I'm a good cop, but I giggle on the stand. I haven't had a great deal of practice."

"That's because FID has a high success rate and you don't go to trial often," Simmons stated, and Sharon nodded. It had been a blessing so far. "But let me tell you, this is going to get ugly. Webster has some good lawyers and he will pull apart you all. Sharon, Beatie, you cannot go up there. You cannot be impartial and talk about the facts. Belluci - it is impossible for you to be impartial."

"I can be fucking impartial!" Claudia snapped, angry at the statement. Simon gave her a look and she conceded. "I guess what happened on Tuesday ruled me out."

"You yelling at the defence? No shit Sherlock. Unfortunately, Williams you were out of the chain when you transferred out of FID, you haven't been completely involved. So that leaves Simon."

They were all looking at each other, resigned, when there was a knock on the door. Will Pope poked his head in, and Sharon tried to contain her smile as she saw him. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Claudia roll her eyes, but Simon just beamed at her.

"Hey Simmons, hey everyone. Just wanted to check in and see how the case was working out. No big problems?" he asked, tapping the door frame.

"No, only Simon is representing FID for the case. Sir," Claudia explained, chuckling until Simon hit her on the arm.

Pope looked at Simon and gave him a nod. "I am sure you will do well Stoker, you're a fine officer and a credit to FID. I wish you luck for this week."

Simon gave him a nod back, his face filling with a smile and confidence. If she wasn't surrounded by people who didn't know she was dating him, Sharon would walk up and kiss Will for what he had said to her officer. He was truly a wonderful man.

"I need to talk to Captain Raydor about something quickly, hope you don't mind?"

Simmons waved his hand away. "No, we'll still be preparing Stoker. Go ahead."

Will moved Sharon into her office, resisting the urge to put his hand on the small of her back. As soon as they were inside, Sharon shut the door and smiled at Will. He took her into his arms and stole a kiss. She wound her arm around his shoulders, enjoying the hum of him.

"Thanks for the text, wanted to know if I could put anything in my car," Will teased, running his hand up and down her body.

"I'm good thank you Chief; I don't want anything going in your car. I can handle my stuff, and the surprise."

"Surprise?" Will cocked an eyebrow, grinning down at her before planting his lips on her cheek. "Should I be excited?"

"It's red."

"Lacy?"

"Silky."

"Mmmm I can get behind that," Will teased, holding her closer and enveloping his mouth with his. She was moving into the kiss, enjoying the relaxing feel of coming home to Will's arms. She was careful not to aggravate his shoulder, but enjoyed feeling everything wash away. The calm bubble that surrounded them both didn't break when the door cracked open a little, but it burst when the door was slammed against the wall.

Sharon turned to the doorway to see Jimmy standing there, watching her and Will kiss. His face looked shocked, confused, and Sharon had no words to diffuse the situation. He looked like a lost child, unsure of what was going on around him but knowing he had to get out.

"Jimmy…"

"This. This is the guy you're seeing?" he asked, his voice low and calm. Sharon nodded, breaking the contact Will had on her skin. She didn't know what to do. The room was draining of air.

"I am seeing Chief Pope. I have been since last fall."

Jimmy looked at her incredulously, his face dark. But there was no anger in his eyes, just incredible sadness, and disappointment. "You said that you didn't date co workers. That you wouldn't date someone in the chain of command. So…."

He didn't finish his words, he just ran out of the office, picking up his coat as he left. Sharon moved to follow him, but Simmons held her arm.

"You can talk to the boy later. We have to take Webster down."

Sharon sat in a chair, her body trembling. Will hovered near her, not wanting to touch her. They continued on with their meeting, preparing Simon for trial. Tony offered to drive Sharon's old car back to her house, and Will drove to their home, all the while trying to comfort Sharon who felt she had made a stupid mistake.

X

She lay on his bed; she hadn't come down for dinner. She hadn't wanted to eat, just wanted to lie down and think about what had happened. As the evening drew on and the sun went down, Will put the children to bed and knocked on the door of the bedroom. There was a soft hum and Will opened it to see Sharon had moved to curl up by the window.

"You didn't do anything wrong."

She looked at him, and Will saw that she was crying. "You didn't Sharon. The boy had a thing for you, everyone knew it. You let him down as gently as you could, you pushed him to find someone his own age and interested in him. You lied to spare his feelings. It doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you someone in love who cares about the people around her."

Will moved over and knelt by her feet. "You didn't do anything wrong, Sharon. He'll get over it. If he has to transfer then maybe that would be for the best. Office romances, even just crushes don't work out a lot of the time."

"Will we?" her voice cracked, turning to Will. He moved up and planted a small kiss on her right temple.

"We will. Because we love each other and everything is out in the open. We know about each other's pasts. You know about my affairs, I know about Sam and your Dad. We don't have any lies. We have some serious attraction, we have some amazing times and we care about each other deeply. We're going to be fine Sharon. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

Sharon looked at him and thrust her lips on his, needing to feel something. Will cradled her head as she kissed him, stroking the sides of her face. The kiss was frenzied, frantic and passionate. They struggled to gain control until Sharon pushed Will down on the bed, unbuttoning his shirt as fast as she could. She sucked on his neck, and moved to kissing his chest when she felt him groan in pain.

"I'm sorry Will."

"Don't be, baby," he pressed a kiss to her nose. "It's okay."

He pulled off the shirt she was wearing and threw it away. He cupped her breasts, stroking her nipples through the fabric. Will moved behind and unclasped her brassiere, letting the cups fall and her breasts bounce out. He moved down to kiss her nipples, taking his time to suck on each one. His hands moved over her stomach, the pads of his fingers teasing her skin until he unbuttoned her trousers and pulled her out of them, onto the clean sheets below.

"Tell me you love me."

Will's hands stilled on her stomach. He pressed a light kiss to her belly button and looked across at her. "This morning I told Brenda Leigh Johnson I had never loved anyone more."

His hands pulled away her underwear, and he spread apart her legs to stroke her. He wanted to please her, tease away the tears. As his strokes grew harder, Sharon gripped tighter at the bed sheets, searching for a release only he could give. Sharon's breath sped up, and as Will hit that right spot that made her tumble over, he watched the pleasure on her face.

"You are incredible."

Once she recovered, they laid down on the bed together free of all clothing and Sharon clamoured on top of him, pushing herself on him. Their bodies pressed together, one arm wrapped around each other and one hand of Sharon's helping Will's thrusts. His leg was wrapped around her hip, and they kissed, taking their time. Eventually Will got wilder and Sharon guided him straight before he came inside her. Both their fingers worked at her clit until she followed suit, gasping his name to the room. The sounds grew quiet as their bodies relaxed.

"It'll be okay Sharon, it'll all work out."

They talked for a little while about what was going on, how Ben was moving to New York and how Caitlin and Brendan were getting on in school. Eventually they slipped into sleep, Will thinking about what he could do to make tomorrow a very special Valentine's Day for the woman he loved and who deserved a perfect day.

_Surprise can also be a betrayal._


	19. Chapter 19

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings._

**Warning: ****  
****This chapter contains Strong Language, Attempted Suicide, Scenes of a bloody nature ****  
****Rape and Character Death**

**Chapter Nineteen**

_As a teenager sitting in English class, she had __scribbled on all of her books, little love hearts with jagged black edges. It was her way of being like the over romanced sixteen year olds sitting with her learning Shakespeare. And yet she wasn't dreaming over the hunky quarterback or the Student Body President, she was thinking of the school bad boy, two years on from when he had left the school to work in the streets of New York. He was the object of her affection. None of the other girls around her understood why she would pass up the chance to be with the cute Captain of the Baseball team, who nursed a rather obvious crush on her. Instead she had thrown her affections on a rebel, and a rebel with very bad personal hygiene. _

_As Annie watched her friend run down the school steps and into the arms of Sam Broker, she could see why she spent her time over him. He was handsome, and he loved her. _

_As an adult studying at NYU she had been gifted at blending in, not drawing attention to herself. She turned up on time, left in the middle of the throng heading for the door. She tried to be a ghost, only shining in her work which, as her visiting professor called it, was 'exceptional'. Waiting tables one day, she caught sight of one of the girls from her graduating class. They talked for a moment, and the girl kept saying such lovely things about her and Sam and how they were 'meant for each other'. _

_She hadn't had the heart to tell her that Sam had turned out to be less than her Prince Charming. He turned out to be the villain, the one who broke both her body and her heart. Her father's suicide was a betrayal on a huge level, but what Sam had done was inexcusable. He had destroyed her with no one to pick up the pieces. _

_As a police officer working the UCLA killer case, they had finally found the man who was responsible for the girls. Flynn wanted to rip his head off and Sharon was silently fuming in the corner. Taylor decided to send Sharon in to collect the confession, to prod him into spilling his guts. Andy gave her a quick kiss in the shadows of Parker Centre before she stepped forward and began to play the pied piper. She had been trained in the art of psycholinguistics, she was gifted at interrogations and could get under the criminals skin. She didn't realise that he would be the one getting under hers. _

_You're a young officer, but you're good at your job. You've managed to bring me in here, which is definitely a credit to you. Now Sharon, may I call you Sharon? You're very good, but you have to know that I'm not going to tell you a damn thing about those charges you arrested me for. You on the other hand, you're a completely different story. I'd like to talk about you for a little while. Your partner has feelings for you; he clings to you every time I've seen you together. But you have a hard time letting him in; you're not the same, standing close and brushing limbs. I think someone betrayed you Sharon, fucked you up hard. And what about those scars, hmm? Those aren't the typical scars of a police officer, Sharon. They're vicious, wild, personal. They're all over you._

_I have no idea what you're talking about._

_Of course you do Sharon. I saw you undress in that tiny impersonal home of yours. They're all over you. You _smell _of broken. Rotten goods. A little slut who couldn't keep her tongue in her mouth. _

Sharon Raydor woke up, covered in sweat, thinking about Eddie Hanson. His meaty breath lingering over her skin. The dirt under his fingernails digging into her arm. The sight of his little bowler hat as he walked away. She collapsed back to the sheets.

**Sunday 14****th**** February 2010**

**10:13 am**

**The Pope-Raydor Residence**

Sharon stirred, trying not to think about the dream she had had. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up in bed, and frowned as she saw that Will was not there with her. Pulling the sheet up around her chin, she thought about where he would be. That's when the door opened in front of her, and Will came in with a tray of breakfast balancing on one hand.

"Give me that, your shoulder is not up to it yet!" Sharon chastised, taking it from him and placing it on the bed. He had thrown on his shirt from last night and a clean pair of boxers, and he soon joined Sharon underneath the covers, kissing her on the cheek.

"Happy Valentine's Day Sharon."

She reached over and kissed him slowly, taking time to savour the moment. Their lips slid over each other, with Will sucking on Sharon's bottom lip. She moaned a little as she opened her mouth wider, allowing his tongue to slip in and caress hers. They continued kissing for a moment until Sharon's movements backward disturbed the breakfast tray and hot coffee spilled onto the bed sheets.

"Well we made the earth move," Will chuckled, and Sharon pressed him down to the pillows while she moved the tray away and pulled off the coffee stained sheets. There was enough coffee to pour two very small cups, and they snuggled against each other, nibbling on the toast that Will had brought up for them to eat.

"I didn't get you a gift."

"It's fine. I have you, what more could I want?" They kissed again, making sure to put the cups on the bedside table where they wouldn't be disturbed.

"I love you," Sharon exclaimed, looking at Will and pressing light kisses against his jaw. She hadn't spent a Valentines' Day with anyone in a very long time, it was unusual and sensual. A whole day for lovers, she usually regarded it as a cheap gimmick with lots of crap. But she had to admit that being treated to breakfast, literally, in bed was something she could get used to.

Will kissed her temple and moved over to get their coffee back. He watched Sharon take a long sip of hers, and the pleasure on her face from the rich taste was exquisite. "I love you too. Listen, I've got a babysitter who is willing to take Caitlin and Brendan from us this evening."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she's one of the single mom's at the school. She had a bad divorce a while ago and was happy to take care of them for the night while we have a romantic dinner in. You can wear that dress…or nothing at all, I don't mind."

Sharon giggled, squeezing Will's hand. "It sounds lovely, and I shall very much look forward to wearing it and being wined and dined by my handsome boyfriend."

Downstairs there were the sounds of children waking up and discovering where their father had hid the remote. Will groaned, and Sharon giggled as the sound of the Disney Channel floated up the stairs. "Damn they found it. They're good little detectives. I better get them some breakfast. Love you."

Will reached over to plant another kiss on Sharon, taking his time to completely envelop her. He then started buttoning the shirt as he walked downstairs to see what was happening with Caitlin and Brendan. Sharon watched him walk away before sinking back into the pillows. Today was going to be a magical day, she just had that feeling. She had never been happier.

**13:46 pm**

**Corner bar near Parker Centre**

"I hate this day. I hate everything about it. Young couples romancing each other and being sickening. It's a day used for big wigs to extort money out of gullible people because they think they're in 'love'. We arrest criminals for doing the same thing, but do we arrest card shop owners, or florists? _No_. Because it's fashionable to be in love for this one day."

It was days like this when Flynn wished he was drinking again. It would be better than having to listen to a once again single Provenza explain to the very tired Claudia and Simon why Valentine's Day was criminal and the whole thing should just be stopped for the safety of everyone involved. Flynn just shook his head and continued to sip his coke. He didn't need to hear this crap; he just needed to focus on this week and being there for Sharon if she needed it. He had a feeling that Jake Webster would get under her skin like Eddie Hanson once had done; she seemed to get affected by the criminals who thought they knew her.

"I'll tell you someone who isn't having a great day," Claudia announced suddenly, trying to shut Provenza up.

"Webster?"

"Jimmy," Simon said sadly, looking into his own lemonade. Provenza had a beer and Claudia was on her second whiskey and coke. Valentines' Day made the loveless turn to a man who always loved them: Jack Daniels.

"Why what happened?" Flynn asked, coming back down to Earth. Things in the conversation were suddenly sounding interesting. Not by much, but a little. He had a bad feeling he knew what had gone on, and that spelled trouble to him.

Claudia took a bitter sip of her drink and explained what had happened. "The Captain had told Jimmy that she wasn't interested, that she didn't date co workers or mess with the chain of command."

"But she's sleeping with Pope."

"Exactly. So imagine his face when he walked in on them to ask them if she could talk Simmons out of his crazy plan, and found them sucking face."

_Shit_. Flynn looked at Claudia, worry bubbling up in him. "So what happened, Claudia? Did he say anything?"

Simon shook his head and returned to staring out the window of the bar, melancholy. "He just ran out of there, he couldn't even form words. Next thing we know, the Captain wants to run after him, but Simmons stops her. It's rough, she was pale and quiet for the rest of the meeting. We tried to call him later on, but he wasn't picking up. Poor guy."

The foursome continued to drink their beverages in silence, none of them quite sure what to do or say. Flynn took another gulp of his coke and thought about Jimmy. He was a good kid, he wouldn't do anything stupid. At least he hoped not, Sharon had enough men in her life pulling the trigger on their own heads without Jimmy doing the same.

"You know what guys; I think we should find Jimmy and talk to him, take him out for a drink and help him out. That's what Valentine's Day should be about, friends getting together and helping each other with their problems," Flynn announced, worry setting in.

They all nodded and started moving out of the bar. By the door, Claudia tapped Flynn on the arm as they pulled on their coats. "You getting visions of brain matter all over the FID floor?"

"Yeah."

All four officers headed out of the bar trying to track down Jimmy to make sure he didn't do anything stupid, and that he realised he was around friends. Flynn just hoped they got there in time.

**15:32 pm**

**Sharon Raydor's House**

He didn't want to let her out of the car, but Will Pope knew that he had to do so she could get her things for later on. She smiled and gave him a kiss as she crawled out of the passenger seat and headed out to her house. The light February wind blew her skirt around her legs, and Will couldn't help but stare mesmerised out of the window at her. She got to the door before running back and planting a kiss on him, hands running all over his face.

"I love you Will Pope."

"I love you too Sharon Raydor."

She gave him another kiss, burying her tongue in his mouth. Eventually he had to push her away, she still had to pack up some boxes before tonight, and he had to get things organised. They had just dropped off Caitlin and Brendan at the babysitter. Will watched her wave at the door before she stepped inside.

He was acting like a High School adolescent but he didn't care. He was in love with that woman, and he couldn't remember any other time when he had truly felt himself around someone. He had always been playing with facades and masks with everyone else, relying on charm instead of his heart to do his work for him. Here was a beautiful woman who he had put back together with his love. And she had made him a better man, a better father.

As Will started the car and decided which supermarket to get the meat from for dinner that evening, he thought back to Sharon at that window last night. They were both divorced, they both knew that marriage didn't last forever and that sometimes people weren't compatible with each other. But Will knew in his heart that the reason why his last two marriages hadn't worked was due to a smiling southern dame. And he had made it clear to Brenda and to himself yesterday that if it came down to the two cops, he would choose the one who loved justice as much as he did.

"Well if you're going to be an idiot you may as well go the whole hog Will," he muttered to himself, and wondered what jewellery shops were open on a Sunday. Considering the holiday, he suspected quite a few might be open to help out men who had forgotten about the day. She wouldn't be able to wear it just yet, not until they told the LAPD about their relationship. But she could wear it on a chain around her neck. That would be if she said yes.

As he drove to find the best jewellery store that was open, Will realised he had never been this nervous about proposing before.

**18:01 pm**

**Transfer Route for prisoner Jake Webster**

Jake Webster sat in the bumpy truck, his hands chained to his feet, the orange jumpsuit he was wearing not becoming. He wondered how he had gone down this route, ended up sitting in a prisoner transfer van when it used to be him who wore the badge. He used to have a girlfriend, a life, a career in front of him. Now the next few days would decide whether he walked free or whether he would end up in prison for the rest of his life.

"Hey Jake, how you doing?" Danson asked. He was a good guy; he understood what you had to do to protect your own. Gang members and high school students shot or stabbed people to protect their girlfriends or wives, it wasn't an unknown thing. So why was he being treated like a monster when he had just tried to protect his own?

"I'm stuck in a truck going to jail. How do you think I'm doing Danson?"

Danson nodded and turned to him. "Listen man, things are changing out there. LAPD is moving to new headquarters and rumour has it that Berrill is retiring. There's going to be a new Chief in place, and Assistant Chief Brody wants it. He also wants to change the way FID works. The ways FID throw their own officers to the wolves. Hell if this case was in a few months time it would probably be thrown out."

"Your point?"

The officer produced a small handcuff key and unlocked the chains in front of him. "For old times' sake man. You don't deserve to be here. You don't deserve to be thrown on a ton of bricks. We managed to band together and get you a passport, a little cash. Jake, man, we know their case. They're going to win. You're going to go down and be some guy's girlfriend and we don't want to see that happen to you. So go. Just go, don't look back and just feel lucky man."

The truck stopped, and the doors opened. Webster saw only friends, and nodded to all of them as he took the information in his hand and started running. The cops behind started to figure out their story, but he didn't care anymore. His old friends in the force had done him justice; they had come through for him when no one else would. Of course they were stupid, and would end up rotting in their own jail cell for aiding and abetting a criminal. He understood more than most the need for unity in the police force, but he also knew that sometimes you've got to stand alone.

Webster managed to swap the orange jump suit for the cash the boys had given him with a homeless man, and then headed out to the find the nearest public library with the rest of it. It was still light in the city of angels, but the sun would set soon. He needed to find someone who could explain to him the concept of unity in better detail, someone who he owed a visit to.

He needed to find Sharon Raydor.

**18:24 pm**

**Parker Centre**

Will had just come back from the jewellers, finding the perfect ring for Sharon when he had got the call. He was needed at Parker Centre urgently, and with that Will drove the car around and headed to the LAPD offices. He put the ring in his pocket, a small engagement ring with a silver band and a little diamond set inside it. It was beautiful, understated. As he parked up Will grew more worried. There were more cars there than there should be for a Sunday evening, and when he rode up he saw all the familiar faces.

"Chief Pope, we've got a situation," Taylor announced as he caught his elbow and moved him down to the Major Crimes offices. "Turns out some of the boys in Webster's old department were not happy with the trial and the case we've got against them. So they helped Webster escape. No one knows where he is."

Spurred on by the thoughts of Webster heading for Sharon, Will moved into the Major Crimes offices and pulled a sitting Simon up from his chair and handed him a whiteboard marker.

"Okay, what do we know?"

Provenza spoke up. "We know that three officers from Webster's old unit changed the schedule on the truck and got themselves assigned to it. Tao managed to figure that out. The three men, Ted Danson, Jules Grayson and Matthew Berry have all had dealings with FID before, light charges to do with bruises on suspects' arms."

Flynn entered the door with some files. "Berry called up Taylor, saying that what had happened was wrong and he wanted to confess. Taylor and Ross managed to find and arrest Danson and Grayson for aiding and abetting a criminal's escape. They're all talking, they realised that no one is going to bail them out."

Simon was writing all that down on the board. Tony came in, whispered something in Flynn's ear before addressing Pope. "Just came back from the interviews. Webster was given about two thousand dollars in cash and a passport, enough to get him across state if need be."

Will took all the information in, and Gabriel raised his hand just as he put down the phone on someone. "Just got a call from one of the officers investigating the area where they let him go. A homeless man claims a guy matching Webster's description paid him a thousand dollars for his clothes. He is wearing an orange jumpsuit, so I think he took the money."

There was a flurry of people around, all contacting each other and trying to figure out what had happened. If the situation hadn't been so serious, Will would be so proud about how several different departments were working together to take down someone they recognised as a criminal, a former cop who had thrown away all they worked for.

"Okay, so Webster has changed. Now he's either going to get out of the state and go to another one, or get out of the country."

Provenza looked at Pope and started to speak. "Or he may be going for Raydor or Beatie. They are the ones who are charging him with other marvellous crimes, and they are the face of FID."

Pope nodded, and his skin started to grow cold. If Webster hurt one hair on her head, he would rip him apart with his bare hands. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jimmy enter the room. He looked cleaner, less dark than he had done the few times he had seen him before.

"Well if he is, then I'm here. Let the bastard come."

Will gave him a nod which he didn't return.

"Okay, here is what's going to happen. I want road blocks put up at every entry to the city. This guy does not mind shooting civilians, he is a serious threat. Taylor, I want your boys at LAX, I want to find him if he's planning to jump state or country. Gabriel get Chief Johnson and Agent Howard on the phone, if he does then this becomes FBI business. Flynn and Provenza get back in those interviews and find out where the hell he is going."

Everyone started moving with a purpose, and Will turned to the FID team who had gathered around him. They were worried; it was their commanding officer that Webster might possibly be going after. Will turned to Simon. "You're in charge."

"What?"

"I want you and Claudia to coordinate this whole thing, Webster is your case. Time to step up Simon, Sharon is always saying how great you are, time to show me. Jimmy I want you to help them out, maybe sit on a few of the interviews."

Will brought Tony aside, not liking the looks that Jimmy was giving him. "Tony I need you to go to my house and see if Sharon is there. She may not be, I was supposed to pick her up. I'm going to hers, I want to make sure she's okay and Webster hasn't found her."

"Okay Chief. God speed."

He nodded, and started to find his bearings and his car keys when his phone rang in his pocket. The caller ID was Tommy's mobile phone. He considered for a moment hanging up, he needed to find Webster and protect Sharon. But something about his call yesterday had made him worry.

"Tommy, son, it's not a good time right now."

_"Why, you busy fucking that southern slut?"_

Will didn't need this right now, he didn't need this old crap from his son while Sharon's life was in danger and a criminal was roaming loose. "No, I'm not. There's a crisis at the LAPD Tommy, I don't need you whining down the phone at me." He was being a little harsh, but tensions were rising in the room. They all knew they were working against a clock before Webster did something stupid.

_"Sorry to hear that Dad. Just wanted to let you know I'm back in LA. You know they have great railway tracks around here."_

"Tommy, I love you but I've got to go. There's trouble."

Will reached for his car keys finally and was heading towards the door when he heard something in his son's voice. It sounded like crying.

_"That car Sharon gave me was a beautiful little thing. Shame about it really. The train will smash it up."_

He stopped dead, his imagination going into overdrive. "Tommy where are you?"

There was laughter on the other end of the phone. _"Some freight railway on the edge of the city. I can see the stars tonight Dad. You know I have spent my entire life being sidelined to some 'crisis' at the LAPD. I'm about to fucking kill myself Dad. Think that takes priority?"_

His son hung up on the other end of the phone and Will found himself shaking. Running back into the room, Will grabbed Jimmy by the shoulders.

"You love her? Go to her house and make sure she's safe. I can't explain, I just need to go."

With that, Will left a bemused Jimmy behind as he ran out of the LAPD offices and down to his car. He knew which train track he meant, it was the one that Tommy had got arrested at a few years back for public indecency. He just hoped he would get there in time.

**19:10 pm**

Flynn came out of the interrogation rooms none the wiser. They hadn't figured out anything about where Webster would or could be going, and short of beating the shit out of them, they had done everything they could. As he walked into the offices he could see Brenda and her husband liaising with Simon.

Claudia was sitting by a phone, staring at it intently. "We got nothing. Everything okay?"

She shook her head and looked up at Flynn. "No. Pope got called away on something so he asked Jimmy to go to the Captain's house. I suppose he would have just got there; there'll be tons of traffic being Valentine's Day and all. But either way, no call."

Flynn felt a chill run up his arms. Something didn't feel right to him. "Why did Pope send Jimmy?"

"He didn't say. He looks okay though, doesn't he? He doesn't look like he's going to kill anyone. Or himself."

He thought things over in his mind. Webster had been free for an hour, and looking over his files showed a good cop, if an incredibly stupid one. If he had wanted to, he could have found Sharon's address quite easily. He could have killed her and be waiting for whoever was sent to look after her - the other person who he had failed to kill, however accidentally.

"Screw it, I'm going over there. If Webster is already at her house then Jimmy is screwed. Wait ten minutes after I leave and send backup and an ambulance to her house. I have a really bad feeling that Webster is there Claudia. I just know that something isn't right."

"I'm getting the same. No love in the air tonight, just trouble. Good luck Flynn, don't get your ass killed!"

Claudia watched as Flynn ran out the same way Jimmy and Pope had done. She murmured a prayer to whatever god would hear her that everyone in this department would be safe that night.

**19:10 pm**

**Freight Train Route out of Los Angeles**

He found the place as quick as he could, and as Will stepped out of the car, he could see the old machine that Sharon had given Tommy in the middle of the tracks. He stopped and parked a few feet away before running to the barriers. By his feet he crunched down on car keys. The doors of the car were locked, and inside was his son. He looked the same as he had last seen him, but his hands were shaking. He looked like a little boy lost in a storm of emotion that he couldn't understand.

"Tommy."

His son looked up, and he rolled down one of the windows of the car. He looked at his father with some sense of triumph on his face. "You came. You know I didn't think you would. I got to give you credit for that."

Will took a step forward, but Tommy's glare made him stop at the barrier. He raised his hands and looked at his son. "Tommy why are you here?"

He giggled this insane little giggle that was on the verge of a sob. "I'm here to kill myself Dad, what does it look like?"

"Okay Tommy, I get that. But why?"

Tommy looked at him; he hung out of the passenger's seat window and grinned at his Dad. "Because I'm tired of feeling like I have no place. I'm tired of feeling like I'm just a mistake of birth. You and Mom you both have different families, different kids. You're both fine without me."

He had never been good at helping out people, talking them out of doing something. All the years he had worked with Brenda not once had he made a dent in her. He had called Tao on the way over and asked about train times, and the last one came past the barrier at seven twenty in the evening. Will checked his watch. He had eight minutes to get his son out of his car.

"Tommy we love you, you're our son and we will always love you…."

"IT DIDN'T WORK WHEN I WAS SIX IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK NOW!" Tommy yelled, screaming and beating the door of the car. "You know we're all fucked up. You finally find someone I like to date and you start screwing Brenda again."

"I'm not sleeping with Brenda, Tommy. She's married. And I'm with Sharon," Will tried to explain calmly, but he didn't think things would be that simple.

But Tommy pointed a finger at him and started screaming again. "I called you yesterday, I needed you and she picked up the phone!"

Damn he should have called his son sooner. Then he wouldn't be sitting in a car trying to kill himself while everything around him crashed around his ears. "Brenda came over yesterday to talk. There was no fucking, there is no sleeping around. Sharon is moving in, I'm….I'm proposing to her tonight, Tommy! I love her, with every breath in my body. All three of my children love her. Why would I let her go?"

His son took the information in, tried to get in his head that his father was not having an affair with Brenda. Will could see that the thoughts were crossing over his eyes and Will hoped he made the right connections.

"Doesn't matter anyway. It's not just you, Dad. _Mom_. Mom is having an affair with some guy, I don't even know his name or how they met but they were fucking in her and Steve's bed. You know I really don't care if you care about me, I don't care about either of you anymore. You are both liars, you are both fuck ups and you don't deserve kids!"

Will took a step forward over the barrier, but the movement through his shoulder burned like fire. Will reached up and pressed it back, hoping to alleviate some of the pain a little.

"What happened?"

"I got shot at the beginning of the week Tommy."

His son looked at him worryingly for a moment before his eyes rolled back in his head and he started tapping the steering wheel. "You got shot and you didn't tell me? Well you really care about me Dad, you do. Don't tell your own fucking son that you got _SHOT_."

Will looked at Tommy and felt his legs start to shake. Adrenaline was running through his body, he had to do something. Time was ticking on. Tommy looked at the phone in his hand and smiled. "Not long now Dad. Not long now and you'll have two kids and Mom will have three and you won't have to worry about me. Not that you ever did. You were busy at work and fucking whoever you wanted and Mom was busy trying to be a lawyer and a Mom and trying to catch you screwing your whores on your desk. I remember the day no one picked me up from school, no one went to parent teacher night. The day no one went to my basketball game. You didn't want a kid. You wanted a pet. Well I think it's time that this pet got put down."

In the distance Will could hear the sounds of something. He didn't know if it was the train or something else but he needed to act fast. He moved over the barrier and stood in front of the car that his son was residing in. Tommy smirked until he saw that his father was serious.

"Okay you want to know the truth? I didn't want a kid. I wanted a career. I wanted to rise to Chief and I didn't want a child yet. But your Mom got pregnant and I was over the moon, because I was having a child, and I knew I would be a good father."

"You were wrong Will!" Tommy interrupted, smirking in his seat. "Always fucking knew you didn't want me."

Will looked at his son and tried to summon up the words that would help him. "We were bad parents. Your Mom was better than me, but I was horrible. I knew that if you went with your Mother then you would get a better life. You never liked Estelle and she thought you were a brat, so you didn't visit. Throughout your entire life I have chosen a woman over you. I chose fucking Brenda over going to your basketball games. I chose running off with Estelle rather than working on things with your Mother. I chose Estelle's rules over seeing you, so I have missed you grow from that young boy into a handsome if misguided young man."

Tommy was unsure where his father was going with this, but he knew it was somewhere. Will got the courage to move closer so he was standing right against the bonnet. "There is a man out there who wants to hurt Sharon. There is a very good chance he is going after her. I sent someone else to make sure that the woman I love is okay, because I wanted to stop my son from killing himself. I'm not choosing anyone over you anymore Tommy, I don't want lose my son. I have loved many women, and things with Sharon may end up going horribly wrong and we'll break up and then there may be other women. But I have never loved any woman, not your mother, not Brenda, not Estelle and not even Sharon as much as I love you, Caitlin and Brendan. I would die for you."

He could feel the tears in the corners of his eyes, and he could see that Tommy was crying in the car. He brought his head out of the window, and his voice was trembling. "I don't believe you."

"You do believe me Tommy, you do," Will announced. "And another thing, if you really wanted to die there is a thousand different ways. Not tracks where you've been waiting an hour. You called me Tommy; you wanted me to save you."

Tommy nodded and reached for his father's hand. Will reached into the car and stroked his son's face, kissing his hair. "I love you Tommy, you're an idiot but I do." He felt his son laugh as he buried his head into his arms.

"I love you too Dad. I think we need to talk."

"I think we need to indeed."

It was then they started hearing the sound of the train coming slowly down the tracks, and the lights from the front. Tommy reached to start the car and drive it off the tracks, but as the barriers came down he started to scream. The car keys were gone.

"I threw the keys Dad, I threw the keys. Dad I don't want to die!"

Tommy began to sob, looking in the rear-view mirror as the train got closer. Will remembered where he had seen the keys and started to search for them, digging out around the underbrush near the barrier until he found them. Running to the car, he fumbled with the lock as Tommy unbuttoned his seat belt and kept pushing against the door.

Will managed to click the lock and throw the door open. His bad arm reached for his son and dragged him out by the scruff of the neck, throwing him onto the ground. As he cursed in pain, he managed to clutch at his son and bring him over on the right side of the tracks just as the freight train hit the car head on and crumpled it into scrap metal.

"Tommy."

"Yeah Dad?"

"I think we need to call an ambulance," Will muttered as he pressed a hand to his shoulder and felt the blood against his palm. Tommy fumbled with the buttons of his Dad's phone before calling an ambulance to the tracks. As he rang off, Tommy pressed his jacket to his father's shoulder. The two Pope men lay along the tracks, both of them crying as the adrenaline began to slow in their bodies.

**19:10 pm**

**Sharon Raydor's House**

Will was late. He was normally quite punctual, but Sharon didn't mind his lateness today. She put on another cup of coffee, determined to do something while she waited for Will. He hadn't called her either, but Sharon wasn't concerned. He would have been caught up planning whatever surprise he was planning for tonight, or Brenda had called with some problem that was ruining Valentine's Day for two sets of couples.

She went into the garden and sat down on one of the chairs. Looking out in front she could see the sun set, a beautiful array of so many different colours. Night was falling, and there was a little chill to the air. Sharon had changed into jeans a while ago after she found the dust in her bookcases was ruining her skirt.

As she took another warm sip of coffee, she heard the doorbell ring. Grinning to herself, Sharon ran for the door and threw it open. "Hey baby!"

But it wasn't Will on the doorstep, it was Jimmy instead. He smiled sheepishly at her, and she groaned inwardly. That was not going to help what was going on between them, nor was it going to help things in Jimmy's head.

"Hey Jimmy. Sorry, I thought you were Chief Pope."

He nodded, and looked at her. "I figured. Captain Raydor, there's a situation going on. Can I explain it inside?"

"Sure, come on in."

Jimmy entered her house, the last time he had done so she had been kissing him. He noted the boxes around the place and moved to sit down at the kitchen table. She made him a cup of coffee and passed it to him. She took a seat, concerned about what was going on. Was she going to get that knock on the door today?

"So what's going on?"

He cleared his throat before replying. "Some of Webster's friends helped him escape from the prison van. They've been arrested, and half the LAPD are trying to track down Jake Webster. Chief Pope needed to deal with something; I think it was to do with Chief Johnson. He sent me here to make sure Webster didn't come after you. If he's after me too, then we'll fight him together."

Jimmy smiled at her, but Sharon was busy trying to take everything in. Webster had escaped and there was a good chance that he was after her. Her gun, stupidly, was at Will's house. She hadn't thought to take it with her for packing purposes, which was idiotic, she should always have it. She thought she had one upstairs, but she wasn't sure. As for Will, she would talk to him and get his side of the story when she saw him next. Jimmy was probably embellishing a little, Will would have stayed at Parker Centre to coordinate efforts.

"Thank you Jimmy, for coming. You always seem to be coming to my rescue."

He gave her a little nod and a look that made Sharon feel uncomfortable. "Always, Sharon. Always. You got any more coffee?"

Sharon nodded and gave him a refill, thinking about where she had put her gun.

**19:32 pm**

The sun had set on Los Angeles, and Sharon couldn't find her spare firearm anywhere. Moving down the stairs, she saw Jimmy had migrated from his post just inside her front door. He was in the sitting room, looking at the picture of her and Will that was on the corner table. There was a picture of his two kids playing football in Will's back garden there as well.

"You know there is something I don't get. You kissed me; we nearly ended up making love. Why, if you were involved with him?" Jimmy asked.

Sharon exhaled, not sure she wanted to have this conversation, especially not at such a high strung time. She moved over and put the photo down he was holding, her fingers brushing over the glass.

"I was drunk and we'd been fighting, I'm sorry Jimmy. I'm sorry for everything."

She moved into the kitchen, shaking her hair out of the ponytail she had put it in for packing. She wished that the phone would ring, but there was nothing yet. She wondered if Jimmy had called in to Will, he would be worrying about her. She had left her mobile phone in the living room, but when she went to find it, it wasn't there.

"Jimmy, have you seen my phone?"

Sharon went back into the kitchen to see Jimmy at the table, looking at something on his own phone. She went over to see what it was, and they were random pictures of her at work, at functions, just during the day. Some were beautifully taken; some were a little blurry like they had been taken in a rush.

"I love you Sharon. I've loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you. You are beautiful and strong and smart and kind. And so loving. The past few months you have been incredible. You know, I used to catch you looking at me on cases, staring at me. I dreamt about those stares for months, dreamt about working late and kissing you. I thought about making love to you, about having crazy sex with you down in the gym. I love you. You make me whole, Sharon."

She didn't know what to say to his monologue. It was sweet, but she didn't want to hear it. She was in love with Will, she couldn't cope with this. Oh where the hell was Webster when you needed him to crash a party? She rested a hand on Jimmy's arm, and he took it, kissing the knuckles like a gentleman.

"Jimmy."

"Don't say anything Sharon."

He stood up and pushed his lips on hers, gently at first and then with more passion. His tongue tried to gain entrance to her mouth, but Sharon pushed him away. He backed into the chairs, while Sharon stayed by the sink, her lips feeling a little swollen. She needed to nip this in the bud now. Before it went any further.

"Jimmy please. I'm not interested in you. I love Will."

He looked at her, his eyes dark. He stood up, his hands trembling. Jimmy reached out to steady himself on the table. "You don't, Sharon. How could you? He's a scumbag; he didn't even come to your aid tonight. I did. I'm here. I'm always here. He's going to end up fucking Chief Johnson in the next few months and he'll leave you. He's rotten goods Sharon, he's not for you."

"You don't know him."

"I know you. I know you don't kiss someone without having feelings for them, let as far as we nearly went."

"Jimmy…."

He pushed away from the table and pushed her up against the sink. He was stronger than she was, and he dug his fingers into his shoulder as he kissed her, pushing his tongue into her mouth. She tried to bite down on him, but he just kept going. She tried crying out, groaning so he would know he was hurting her.

"Yeah baby I've wanted you too…oh Sharon…"

As his fingers made bruises on her arm, his own hands ran down the length of her body. Sharon tried to push him away but he pushed back harder, tearing the waistband of her trousers as he dragged them down her legs. Sharon had one last attempt to push him away; to speak but his tongue choked her as she felt his weight bear down on top of her.

**19:36 pm**

"That was amazing. Fucking amazing. You were amazing. That was just as incredible as I thought it would be."

Jimmy was lying on the floor of the kitchen, ecstasy written all over his face. Sharon was huddled in the corner of the room, trembling. Bruises were starting to form on her arms from the red welts. Mascara had created black streaks down her face from her tears. Her hair was mused, her lips were swollen and raw, and there was blood on them. Her underwear was lying on the floor somewhere, ripped beyond repair. Her jeans were in a pool a foot away, but she couldn't move. Everything hurt.

"Damn it Sharon, you are so beautiful."

Jimmy crawled across the kitchen and tried to kiss her but she moved her head away viciously. He looked affronted. "Honey, did I do something wrong? Did you not come? Damn, well let's go again and I will give you the best orgasm in the world, I promise. I love you Sharon, I want to make you happy."

Sharon looked up into the young man she had trusted; the young man who seemed to be psychologically impaired, or just a fucking psycho. She gathered all the strength she had to stand up. He followed her and tried to hold her close but she managed to do what she never had done with Sam. She had never stood up for herself, said no. It was time that changed. She punched him in the face, knocking him to the floor.

"You fucking cretin. Don't you dare touch me again."

She didn't know what to do, but she knew she had to get out of the kitchen and find help. She thought about her jeans but decided against it. Sharon was about to stumble to the kitchen when Jimmy grabbed her hand and slammed her against the table. His nose was broken and blood was gushing all over the place.

"What the _fuck_? Sharon baby, don't walk away." Sharon tried to push against him but he pushed her so hard she cried out. "Don't you fucking walk away from me!"

Jimmy looked at her, and tried to find something on him to intimidate her, to scare her. She had seen his gun in the living room, but he obviously didn't want to leave the kitchen. He found her kitchen knives in one of her drawers and pulled one out. He held it against her heart, pressing against the skin. He dug the blade in a little deeper, his features bloody and angry.

"What is wrong with you Sharon? I thought you fucking loved me, I thought you cared about me."

Sharon shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. She wasn't sure if she could speak, she could feel the blade digging into her skin. "I don't get you Sharon; I think you're going to have to explain yourself a little bit more. You don't date co workers, but no wait you do. You fucked Flynn, another guy who didn't come to protect your ass. You said you wouldn't break the fucking chain of command, and yet you're fucking Pope. Baby you got to explain things to me, because I don't understand. You love me, you kiss me and you look at me like I'm your Prince fucking Charming. We've just made love and yet you're acting all crazy. What is going on with you? What is going on with you and Pope? Did he rape you or force you or something? Is that why you're acting all nuts? Because baby I understand, I just want to protect you. Like I've always done."

She looked at him for a good hard moment, before spitting in his face, cursing him. After he had wiped the spittle off of his bloody features, she managed to speak. "You're the one who fucking raped me you fucking psycho. Will Pope is twice the man you are; I would even fuck Webster over you, you bastard. "

Jimmy's eyes glinted like the metal of the knife. She had just made things a hell of a lot clearer for him. "So I guess you're just a liar and a slut, aren't you? I loved you Sharon, but I don't think that things are going to work out. I was crazy for you Sharon."

"You're just fucking crazy."

Sobbing, Jimmy Beatie took the knife he was holding and stuck it in Sharon Raydor's stomach.

**19:40 pm**

You never forget the sight of your first officer tragedy, whether the person holding the weapon is a civilian or someone on the police force. Andy Flynn had seen many of his own friends lying cold in the gutter, bullet wounds in their guts, spray pattern on the wall next to them. As he sped his car down the road outside Sharon's house, the hairs on the back of his neck were sticking up. He stopped the car as quick as he could and ran out, putting the clip in his gun as fast as he could.

Kicking in the door, he expected to see Webster holding someone he cared deeply about at gun point, or her dead body already on the floor, Webster standing over it with a gun he had stolen.

The sight that met him was not what he was expecting, but yet training kicked in and he did what he had been taught to do when there was an officer in trouble.

Bang.

He didn't care who it was, didn't look to see as he raced over to her. He put his gun to the side, just wanting to get as close to her as he could. The knife had been dropped to the floor, but the damage had already been done.

"Sharon, Sharon!"

She was losing a lot of blood. He could see ripped up underwear tossed into the corner, and a police badge too. Andy looked over and saw the cold, dead face of Jimmy Beatie. He turned back to Sharon, her hair matted, her face marred with tears and her hands bloody as she held them over her stomach. He ripped off his jacket and pressed it against her body, holding it in place. She was looking pale, the brown of her hair making her skin look even more ghost like.

"Andy…"

Sharon was shaking, and he reached for his phone, his own nervousness making him stumble over the keys. He called the emergency services, telling them what had gone on. He pressed his jacket closer to the wound, and Sharon cried out. She was in her own personal hell, so much pain and covered in blood. As he rang off the phone Andy moved around and held her against him, both pressing down on the wound on her stomach.

"It's gonna be okay, it's gonna be fine Sharon. Ambulance is on their way." Someone would come soon, they had to. Hadn't he organised back up?

He held her tighter, pressing down on the wound, causing her to cry more. He was covered in her blood, could feel the coldness of her tears as he pressed against her, holding her tight. He wanted her to feel safe, even though safe was the last thing she would be feeling.

"Sharon, I can hear sirens."

He couldn't, and she knew he couldn't either. He could feel her getting colder, her movements becoming stiff. He pressed harder on the wound, trying to stave off the blood flow. But he couldn't, and he knew it. He started crying as he placed his hand on her stomach, trying to keep her alive. Sharon looked up at him and placed a bloody hand on his cheek, smiling faintly, the life already going out of her eyes.

"Just let me go Andy, just let me go."


	20. Chapter 20

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings._

**Chapter Twenty**

_Is it true that when you are near death your life flashes before your eyes? She isn't sure. It's not like a movie, "this has been your life" sort of thing. Moreover your mind reflects on why you're dying, why you're sitting on a cold kitchen floor with hot blood pouring out of your stomach. It's the choices you've made getting up to that place, the things you regret not doing and the things you regret doing too. The good moments, the ones that stick with you, the happy moments and the things you've done right. _

_She supposes it is a little like a movie. _

_The cliff notes version of Sharon Raydor. _

_What was there to her life? Consciousness was fading, things were blacking out. She could feel Andy clinging to her, holding onto her so tight. Things were whirring around in her head. The mistakes she had made at school. Not standing up to Sam and walking away before she had lost a child and nearly her life. The failure at cases when they should have caught the bad guy earlier. The failed relationship with Andy. Her work at FID and the way they ran things. Little things like spending too much time apart from Will. Had she told him she had loved him? She couldn't remember. _

_Just __let me go Andy, just let me go._

_No bright, everlasting light. No tunnel with an angel standing in front of her. She had never been greatly religious. Her father had once said that her mother was Catholic, but Sharon had never known the woman long enough to be brought up into her religion. She didn't know what she believed, well that wasn't true. She believed in the woman in front of the steps of courthouses, with scales in her hands. She believed in the great god of pain and prayed that he would stop punishing her. _

_Anything was better than the pain. _

_Just more dark, more black. But less pain. It was slipping away. _

_Was this what her father had experienced, pulling the trigger? That must have been fast, almost painless. Maybe it had hurt for the first few seconds but after that there was nothing but sweet relief. She was almost envious, the pain was unbearable. She would reach for Andy's gun by her feet if she felt she could lift her arms. Things still hurt; there was pressure on her stomach. So much pressure, like all her organs were compacting instead of spilling out onto her once clean kitchen floor. _

_Not a chance in hell Sharon._

_The words were not coming from her lips, and she recognised the voice so well. There was no light, why wasn't there any light? Just black, and then she couldn't feel anything at all._

X

Lieutenant Provenza walked into the interview room with a smug look on his features. Opposite was Jake Webster, put back in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit. He had been picked up four blocks away from Raydor's residence by Lieutenants Stoker and Belluci, desperate to get their hands on him. He had been brought straight to Parker Centre and placed in front of Provenza. His three partners in crime had already been dealt with swiftly by the DA - a confession and a deal had already been placed. There would be no one to help him now.

"Hi Webster, Gabriel read you your rights, correct?"

"Yeah, he did. And my Dad won't pay for my lawyer anymore so I'm going stag. I don't want anything off of you guys."

Sweet irony. Daddy won't pay for a lawyer because it's obvious his pride and joy is as guilty as sin. "Had a lot of fun out there tonight?"

Webster smiled. "Not exactly."

Provenza smiled at him before shuffling the papers in front of him. "You escaped and tried to track down Captain Raydor, is that correct? Son, tell me the truth. There is no exit strategy for you now."

The man in front of him, still a cocky bastard, smiled. "Is that a crime, tracking down an old friend?"

"It is when that _friend _ends up raped and murdered."

That wiped the grin off of Webster's face. He looked at him for a moment, before his hands started to shake. "What? I didn't touch her, I swear! Listen I may have gunned for her before but come on, rape?"

Provenza looked him dead in the eye. "Webster we know you escaped from that truck and instead of running like a good little boy, you went for Raydor. We know you broke into her house, we know you beat her before raping her and then stabbing her. Sharon Raydor is in our morgue downstairs, Webster, and we're just double checking your fingerprints to the ones on the knife."

"I didn't kill her, I swear. Listen I may have… okay I tried to shoot her a few months back when I had the opportunity, and I was going to fuck her up tonight, but I swear I didn't, I got lost! You've got to believe me, I didn't do it!"

The wizened detective shook his head and looked at him. "Son, this is bad. You shoot a guy hitting on your girlfriend, then you gun for Raydor and Beatie and then bam one of them ends up dead. I think we should have been putting people on witness protection."

Webster was starting to cry. He was holding his head in his hand and was weeping onto the table. "I swear I didn't kill her, I promise! I wouldn't have raped her either, dude I'm not some sort of sick fuck! I wouldn't…fuck."

"But you did shoot the guy hitting on your girl?"

"Yeah, but I didn't kill him! I aimed not to, fuck don't you believe me?"

Provenza rolled his eyes and passed a pad of paper over to him. "We need a statement about tonight's events. Everything that happened. If we can prove that you're telling the truth, then we'll have to see if we can change the murder charges. Let me tell you this, _Jake_. You may have been an FID victim, but Sharon Raydor was a cop, and a damn good detective in Robbery Homicide, despite the stick up her ass. No one takes kindly to cop killers."

Webster took the pad and began to write down his statement. When he had finished, Provenza looked over it. It was accurate, if a little self serving. He kept going back on himself, making sure that although there was previous charges, he wrote that he knew of them and wouldn't do anything so stupid again. Jake Webster should have been a lawyer instead of a cop.

"Well Webster, you've admitted to the assault with a deadly weapon of Charlie Grundy, the attempted murder of Sharon Raydor and the assault with a deadly weapon of Jimmy Beatie, as well as escaping from the prison van. And you do say you got lost trying to kill Sharon Raydor for a second time. Thank you, that's all we need."

The ex cop looked up at Provenza, shocked. "What the hell? What's going on?"

Provenza tucked the paper inside his folders. "Jake Webster, I'm going to get a cop in here to arrest you and take you to the DA, now that you've confessed instead of playing us around. Adding to the fact that you tried to run, you should get some years inside. They'll love you Jake, a pretty boy ex cop like you. You'll probably see some old friends there too."

"Wait, what about Raydor? I didn't kill her!"

His eyes glazed over for a moment before he turned to Webster. "We know you didn't. After your little escape attempt, Chief Pope was worried about her safety. He sent Sergeant Beatie, who decided to flip when he discovered she was involved with someone else. He raped her and stabbed her, before being shot in the head by Lieutenant Flynn. Captain Raydor is in a serious coma, they don't know if she'll make it. Even if she does, you're going to go away for a long, long time."

Provenza walked out of the interview room and breathed deeply. He handed over to two other officers, handing them the paperwork. He needed to get to the hospital. In his pocket he found the handkerchief he had lent to Flynn. He didn't know whose blood that was.

X

The nurse had never seen such a sombre bunch of cops before. They were all waiting for one of their own to come out of surgery, her second surgery in so many hours. The woman had received severe abdominal wounds and had been the victim of rape. The doctors were trying to save her, but things were not looking promising. She hoped she wouldn't be the one to tell them that their friend wasn't going to make it.

Brenda Leigh Johnson entered the waiting room with Lieutenant Provenza, bearing good news about Jake Webster. But it didn't look like any of them wanted to hear it. Tao and Sanchez were standing, unsure why they were there. Claudia and Simon were sitting together, Simon in tears. Tony was on the phone in the corner, rambling something to someone. Flynn was sitting on his own, covered in blood. His hands, his forearms and even his chin were bloody, and his eyes were glassy.

"Okay, I think it would be a good time to get some facts straight," Brenda announced, beckoning Gabriel to get out a pad and paper. "So Sergeant Jimmy Beatie left Parker Centre to inform and potentially protect Captain Raydor at approximately 18:26 pm today. At 19:43 pm, two black and whites and an ambulance arrived at Captain Raydor's residence to find Sergeant Beatie dead, and Lieutenant Flynn on the floor putting pressure on a wounded Captain Raydor. That leaves just under an hour and twenty minutes unaccounted for. Explanations people."

Flynn spoke, his voice on gritted teeth. It was a bare whisper. "I thought Webster might be at the house. So I went, asking Claudia for back up and an ambulance. I ran in the house, gun drawn. Beatie was advancing on Sharon - Captain Raydor - with a knife for a second try. I shot him. He fell. I applied pressure, called for an ambulance and waited."

Brenda nodded, but could see that asking Flynn any more questions would be pointless. He was waiting to know if he had done enough to save Captain Raydor's life. There was something she wasn't completely set on though. "Do you know why Sergeant Beatie would do that to Captain Raydor? I thought he worshipped her."

Claudia started to speak, but Provenza raised his hand. "Chief, it was common knowledge that Beatie had a crush on Raydor. She didn't feel the same, so she let him down gently. She didn't date co workers or mess with the chain of command."

She was still confused. "So he…assaulted her because he turned her down?"

Provenza made a face. "You may want to sit down Chief." Brenda took a seat, her handbag on her lap. "The reason why Beatie most likely did those things was he discovered that Captain Raydor was having a relationship with a fellow police officer."

Brenda nodded. "Oh. Well I can see how that might have tipped him over the edge."

He gave a nod. "Especially when the person she was having an affair with was Chief Pope."

Brenda stood up. "WHAT?"

She sat back down at the looks she was given and was about to challenge Provenza's statement when Gabriel came back to them with two files. One was Sharon Raydor's. One was Jimmy Beatie's. Tony got off the phone and joined them. Flynn stayed where he was, staring into space.

"This is Jimmy Beatie's file. He only just passed the psychological test. The therapist said that he had some temper issues, but it was a slow burning thing. Fit for active duty, no problems on the whole…there were some allegations back in his hometown about things. His cheerleader girlfriend accused him of rape in their senior year."

"Why wasn't it ever picked up on?" Sanchez asked.

Gabriel checked the files. "Because the girl had a tendency to cry wolf about these things. The one time they did check her out for rape, the time before Sergeant Beatie, they discovered no tearing, no bruising. And a hymen."

"I doubt she was lying the time after," Provenza muttered.

Gabriel shook his head and kept reading. "Background was the girl cheated on him. The academy agreed it was some girl out looking for attention and revenge after he broke up with her. The repressed anger would be fine, as long as it was channelled properly. That's why they put him into FID. He was a powder keg ready to break."

Brenda nodded, and Gabriel moved the other folder aside and pulled out Sharon Raydor's. It was funny; they had been trying desperately to get a hold of this file for ages, to get her removed from the LAPD. It was after both units together were trying to solve a mystery that they finally discovered the whole truth about Sharon Raydor.

Gabriel opened the file slowly. He flicked through a few of the pages and turned to the Chief. "Captain Sharon Raydor. Her mother left when she was real young, her Dad took care of her. We know all what happened with her Dad and his death." He turned another page and his eyes grew wide. "She married her high school sweetheart, one Sam Broker."

"Not Sam Broker, gang leader?"

He turned over a new page. "Looks like. Didn't you say he seemed interested in her? He did know her Dad."

"Well that explains a few things. I can't believe someone like Raydor would get involved with someone like Broker. Why did they divorce?"

"They got married in Vegas on a road trip between New York and Los Angeles. You wouldn't think of it from Raydor, would you? They divorced two years amicably, although judging from these pictures and this medical report, I think she wanted to get out of it a little more than he did."

Brenda took the pictures from Sergeant Gabriel and looked them over. They were horrible. Cigarette burns on her arms. And on her back were crisscrossing white scars, she was covered in them. She read the associative notes. Brought in by her brother, extreme loss of blood. Marks consistent with a whip, and whipping over time. She had miscarried.

"Anything else Sergeant?" Brenda asked, her body in a state of shock.

"She went back to New York, studied linguistics. She returned to the LAPD, and joined the academy. She gave full disclosure to the Chief about her previous relationships, and the head of the Gang Unit at the time thought she could give some great insights to help with the growing number of gangs. She tried, but they soon got wise and changed things around. She was transferred out several years later….her Sergeant Rank was awarded for an arrest with a different gang than Broker's. Bad kid with bad problems tried to change things for the better."

The nurse interrupted them and rested a hand on Brenda's shoulder. "Sharon Raydor is in room 13 upstairs on ward 5. She survived the surgery and they fixed most of the abdominal bleeding, but she's now in a coma. They're not sure if she's going to wake up. I'm sorry."

Brenda looked across and saw Flynn had already gone.

X

She looked so pale, lying there in the bed. She was wearing some sort of hospital gown and covering her was a thin sheet. She looked so small, so hollow. He was so used to seeing Sharon Raydor up and about and pissing people off that the sight of her in the bed, lying there, was killing him. There was still blood on his hands, so Flynn found the nearest sink and scrubbed up to his elbows, tearing the skin off in the process as he cleaned himself viciously. He took off his jacket and dried himself.

Andy reached over and held her hand.

"Sharon, you need to come out of this. You need to wake up and stand up and come back to work. You need to just be alive, okay? We've got so many bad guys to put away yet Sharon, we're not through. You can't leave me. You can't. We've only just started getting to know each other again. Damn it Sharon, stop being such a selfish bitch and come back. Because I…you're one of the only women who I can stand. Even when you were with FID and a bitch, I just remembered you throwing up in one of our girl's bathrooms."

He reached across and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. "I love you Sharon. You gotta come back. Because I don't know how I'm going to deal with Provenza without you."

Brenda watched him from the doorway, not wanting to disturb their moment. It looked like Flynn was going to be staying with her until and if indeed she woke up. Provenza stood beside her, looking for a brief moment on the still form of Sharon Raydor and the hunched figure of Andy Flynn. They left the two to it, former partners separated by ethics and the job, coming together once more.

X

Will Pope was in his hospital bed, his shoulder throbbing. The pain was tough, not as bad as when he had been initially shot, but still pretty painful. By his side was his son, reading him articles from a magazine he had picked up in the hospital gift shop. Tommy seemed mellower, calmer. And Will was glad. His phone was in his car unfortunately, and as soon as the nurse had done her last round he was going to ask for Tommy's so he could call Sharon.

"Oh my god Will!"

He turned around to look at the woman in the doorway, but his mind wouldn't register who it was. Jean Denny, his first ex wife and Tommy's mother was there. She looked good, a little pale but still as beautiful as ever. He had talked to her a little over the years, but hadn't really seen her. He didn't go up to DC much, and it was usually Steve who brought their son down.

Jean came into the hospital room and stopped a few feet short of Will and Tommy. She looked at her son. "I got your voicemail. Took the quickest flight out of DC."

Tommy looked at his mother. "Dad talked me out of it."

Jean looked relieved, and then back to Will. "What happened to you?"

"Got shot on Tuesday. Dragging his sorry ass out of that car pulled out my stitches."

Jean reached over and kissed her son's head, lingering to smell his hair and revel in the fact that her son was alive. Will didn't know how she must have felt on the plane ride over to LA, wondering if at any point her son would be dead. Wondering if she would feel it. She then reached over and kissed Will on the cheek, the first physical contact they had had most likely since the slap she had gave him when he had announced his affair with Estelle.

"Thank you Will," she whispered against his skin, kissing him again.

"Well look at this happy family reunion…"

"Daddy!"

Will propped himself up just as Caitlin flung herself over his chest. As he grimaced in pain, Tommy caught his little sister around the middle and pulled her onto his lap. Brendan hovered around, but stayed by his older brother's elbow. Obviously their father was in more pain, and cuddles were out of the question. Tommy turned his head slightly to see Estelle St James in the doorway, Caitlin and Brendan's mother. He rolled his eyes and reached for his Dad's hand. Caitlin joined them, and Brendan put his hand on top.

"I got a call from the babysitter saying that you had gone into hospital and asking if I could pick the children up. I was one of the emergency contacts. Life and death apparently. The kids wanted to see you, so here we are."

Jean stood up and looked at Estelle. The two women had never really met, but of course they knew each other. Will didn't want to get into a fight, he hadn't been married to either woman for quite some time, and the only connection he had to either was the three beautiful children sitting on one chair, holding his hand. They made eye contact, not really saying anything, trying to psych the other one out. Tommy could see his father was getting tired and was going to ask them to sort out sleeping arrangements and leave when the situation got much worse.

"Will! How could you not tell me it was Raydor who you were dating?"

Tommy clutched his head and the two younger ones looked around and started to giggle. Will looked up to see Brenda and just shook his head. "Because it wasn't any of your damn business!"

"Wait, you're seeing someone? When did this happen?" Estelle asked, turning to the kids. "You didn't mention anything."

"Neither did you Tommy."

The teenager placed Caitlin on the side with her father, once again clinging onto his side. Tommy looked at Brendan and gave him his seat. He stood up. "Okay, listen up. Yeah my Dad is dating someone new, they're moving in together. She's lovely, she's great and all three of us like her. But it's none of your damn business because I don't live with Dad anymore and you fucking left Estelle." His Dad gave him a look. "Frakking left Estelle. As for you Chief Johnson, yeah Sharon is a cop. But you haven't been together for over a…frakking decade. So step off your high horse and go back home. You're not welcome here."

Brenda nodded, and started to leave before Provenza came in. He looked at Chief Pope and smiled weakly. "Chief, can we have the room?"

"Lieutenant Provenza, I don't need a lecture right now about dating members of staff."

Brenda looked at Provenza and shook her head. "Will, it's about Webster. And Sharon."

Will sat up straighter in the bed. "Tommy, take Caitlin and Brendan, your mom and Estelle out of here please. I need to talk to Chief Johnson and Lieutenant Provenza by myself."

Tommy took Brendan by the shoulders, and Provenza picked up Caitlin and brought her out, leaving Brenda alone with Will. She took a seat next to him. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. It's just been a really shocking evening, and that was what I focussed on. I'm sorry Will."

"It's okay Brenda, I know that me dating your arch nemesis bothers you. But Sharon is an amazing woman, and I love her. In fact…" Will went into the jacket pocket at the end of the bed and pulled out the small ring box. "I'm going to ask her to marry me. I can't imagine life without her, and I would be crazy to let her go."

Brenda could feel tears welling up in her eyes. She clasped Will's hand, and she could feel him start to tremble. "Brenda, what is it? What happened? Is Sharon okay?"

"We picked Webster up a few blocks from Captain Raydor's house. Provenza got him to confess, there won't be a trial. You sent Jimmy Beatie to protect Sharon, didn't you?"

Will shifted in the bed. "I did. He loves her; I thought he'd do a good job protecting her. I had to go to Tommy. He was going to kill himself."

"Oh Will," Brenda started crying, and squeezed his hand tighter. "You are such a good man. Jimmy didn't protect Sharon. He had a mental breakdown."

"What?"

"He raped Sharon….and then he stabbed her. Twice. In the stomach."

She could see Will's face grow pale, and his hands shake wildly. "No, it can't be. Not Jimmy. He loves her, he…I sent him there to protect her, Brenda. To protect her."

She shook her head and held his hand tighter. This was worse than any notification she had ever had to do. "Jimmy raped and tried to kill Captain Raydor. Flynn shot him, he's dead. She's in a coma. They're not sure…"

Her words were cut off with Will vomiting onto the floor, his body shaking and racking with sobs. Brenda held him as he cried. Outside, as Provenza explained to Tommy what had happened, the teenage boy slid to the floor and felt numb.

X

Brenda unlocked the door and came home. At the kitchen table was Fritz with the remains of a Valentine's dinner and burned out candles. He was not mad, she had called him and explained and was waiting for her to get home.

"You okay?"

She shook her head. "I just had to tell Will that the woman he was going to propose to tonight is in a coma, because someone who he trusted to take care of her raped and stabbed her. I also find out that the woman who I've hated all these months is a lot more broken then I thought she was. And I'm not sure what is going to happen to Andy Flynn."

Fritz moved from the chair and held his wife, wanting to comfort her. "I'm sorry Brenda. I'm so sorry."

"Never leave me."

She clung onto her husband, wanting to feel close to something and get the sight of Andy Flynn covered in blood and Will Pope crying out of her mind. But it wasn't working. And she started to cry.

X

Her entire body hurt.

She could hear the bleep of machines around her. Her body hurt like she had been put through a shredder. Everything apart from her hand, which had a different type of pressure. Things were foggy, but slowly they were coming back to her. Little things, like bookcase dust and fresh coffee on clean sheets. She remembered fragments of conversation, and when her mouth worked she opened her lips.

"Provenza is your fucking responsibility, not mine."

"Don't I know it?"

Sharon Raydor opened her eyes slowly and saw Will Pope holding her hand. She flexed her fingers, and clung back.

_The important thing is this: _

_To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become. _

_Charles Dubois_

Will watched his son put brand new socks in his chest of drawers. There were a few clothes in the wardrobe, and a large poster of some film Will didn't know hanging over his bed. There was nothing previously owned in the room at all, Tommy had chucked everything. All his posters, all his clothes, all his magazines…he'd even been bought a new phone with only two contact numbers in, his fathers and his mothers.

"You sure you want to do this? You know you don't have to," Will said, stepping into his son's room.

Tommy sat on the bed, looking at one of the few things he had brought to his new room. Only photographs. He placed the one of his mother and Steve and their family on his bedside table. "Yeah I am. DC is toxic for me, as is Harvard. I need a fresh start, and I want your help with that."

He continued to unpack, and his father helped him with a few things. The morning after his suicide Steve had come down, planning to drag the boy back to Harvard. But Jean finally stood up for her son, and said that he was free to do what he wanted. So Tommy wrote Harvard a letter and found out how much tuition he had wasted. He endeavoured to pay Steve back every cent, and he was working on getting himself a full time job so he could also save up money towards tuition if he decided he wanted to go back to college.

"Well I can do what I can. But you're going to have to work hard, get a job and take care of Caitlin and Brendan if I need to work late. I'll pay you for some babysitting, but I don't want any funny business."

"Funny business?"

"No drinking. No drugs. And no sex in this house. Estelle isn't happy about you being here, and I don't want her to take Caitlin and Brendan away."

"I don't want that either, Dad," Tommy said. "Don't worry; I don't plan to do anything like that. I just want to figure things out a little. Need to atone."

Will sat next to his son on the bed, and put an arm around his shoulder. "What do you have to atone for?"

Tommy looked at him, his eyes welling a little with tears. "If I hadn't have called you, then Sharon would be okay right now. She wouldn't be…"

Will kissed the top of his son's head. "Sharon is fine. Physically at least. She's out of the hospital now, but things are going to take a little while. It wasn't some random guy; it was someone we all trusted, even her. I'm glad you called me, because I wouldn't have been able to deal with the guilt if you hadn't, and that train had hit you."

Tommy stood away from his father and continued packing. He had been feeling guilty since Provenza had told him what happened, and no amount of talking had done anything to change his mind. Will was feeling the same share of guilt, but he knew in his heart that what he had said was true. They had all trusted Jimmy. It didn't help the heaviness in his heart whenever he thought about Sharon though.

His son had broken up with his girlfriend, packed up his life in both DC and at Harvard and moved down to Los Angeles. He didn't talk to any of his friends, only went online to play with his brother and sister. The rest of the time he read. He looked through books of his fathers and old case files in his study.

"Have you heard from her?" Tommy asked from his wardrobe. He looked up to see his father, but he had gone. He took that to be a no, and it was killing him.

X

White shirt. Black trousers. A jacket and her police badge in her pocket. She was sitting in the pews of a plain church in a small Californian town, not that far out from Los Angeles itself. In what appeared to be a close knit community, there weren't that many people attending. There were a few people, and what appeared like family at the front of the church, sitting and crying. There were a few people sitting at the back with very dry features.

At the end of the funeral, people went to the crematorium, and the coffin was placed on what seemed like a conveyer belt. As the family left the service, she stayed and watched the coffin moving through the little hatch and into the incinerator.

If she was a different sort of woman, she would have smiled.

But she wasn't, and so she just wiped a tear away and headed out.

"Excuse me, you're with the LAPD right?" asked a woman, and Sharon Raydor looked up to see familiar features, the same dark hair and dark eyes. Jimmy's younger sister.

"I am, yes, but I really can't talk. I need to head back to LA." She couldn't do this, she couldn't. She had only come to put that ghost to rest. Not for any mundane chitchat with his family.

The woman, whose name Sharon couldn't recall, gripped onto her arm a little tighter. Sharon wrenched it away. She still had bruises on her wrists and her mouth, even though they were fading just a little.

"Please. The officer who told us what happened made no sense. He must have been mistaken. Jimmy got shot trying to stop a man raping and stabbing someone, he wasn't doing it, right?"

Sharon looked the woman in the eye and moved the tails of her shirt up a little. The two stab wounds, not even a centimetre apart and at least three inches wide were still raw and red. They were healing, barely. The stitches were faint, but they were there. Soon they would turn as white as the ones on her back, another scar to her body.

"I don't know what to say to you. But the officer was correct. If I was you I'd bury your brother's remains and pretend whatever makes you sleep well at night. I know I'm not."

Sharon brushed past the sister and headed to the taxi waiting for her. She stepped inside and they headed to Los Angeles, far away from the small little town who were half mourning its own, and the other half gossiping. As the rural areas of California transformed into the bustling city, Sharon sat in silence, her thoughts blurry.

The doctors were surprised by her recovery initially, but the beatings she had endured at Sam's hands had given her a stronger body then she had thought. She had been out within a week, her body still sore but she had wanted to get out of the hospital room. There were plenty of cards and flowers, and Annie had helped her carry them all back to her house, where she was staying while her house was still a crime scene.

She changed her mind about where she wanted to go, and the driver adjusted accordingly. She wanted to see. It wasn't long before they pulled outside her house. Some of her things were still inside. Annie had been packing things up for her and putting them in storage. There was still crime scene tape on the door, yellow unlike the red of Internal Affairs. Sharon ripped the tape and slipped inside her house, the door still open.

There it was. Her kitchen. All the blood was gone. There were no ripped clothes lying on the floor. No bullet cases. The knife was in evidence. As probably were her clothes. She walked through her house into the living room where she found her mobile phone. It had so many missed calls from Will…she smiled for a moment before pocketing it. It had been buried down the back of her sofa. _Jimmy_. She wondered what moment had made him snap.

It was a picture of her and him, a beautiful happy shot. That was what it must have been. The final straw, seeing proof of her love. Sharon picked up the frame and threw it against the fireplace, watching the glass smash against the brick. She moved forward and looked at the pieces, the reflection of her in the glass. She looked crazy, she looked bruised.

She looked broken.

Sharon walked back into the kitchen and looked around. She could see the ghosts of Jimmy standing in the corner, she could see her sitting battered and bruised on the floor. Her and Andy with blood everywhere. She walked up the stairs and found the thing in her wardrobe that she had been looking for. She remembered the last time she had held one, she had spoken of unity and trust and working together.

As she walked down the stairs, she shrugged off her jacket and spun the baseball bat around in her wrist, a quirk she had picked up as a kid.

_So I guess you're just a liar and a slut, aren't you? I loved you Sharon, but I don't think that things are going to work out. I was crazy for you Sharon._

Sharon Raydor picked up the baseball bat and swung it against the cabinet door. It broke, indenting the wood and caving in on itself. She smacked the table, knocking dents into it and breaking one of the legs so the thing fell down. She smashed up the floor tiles; she hit the sink and knocked one of the taps off. When the kitchen lay a wreck, the furnishings damaged and water flooding the floor, Sharon took a seat at the table. As the water pooled around her feet, she found her bag and the item inside it. Her father's gun.

She put the muzzle against her temple. It was cold, circular. Her body chilled, she could feel the water running over the bottoms of her shoes. She pulled the trigger.

No flash of light, no great bang. No bullets in the clip. Sharon put the gun on the table and looked at it. No great revelation, no epiphany. Just a coward's way out.

She called Annie on the way to Parker Centre, telling her about the kitchen. It would put the house down in price, but the rape and attempted murder would do that anyway.

Just like her father had known what to do, and Andy's father and Tommy in the car, Sharon knew what she had to do now.

X

Assistant Chief Julian Brody walked into the FID offices and saw what remained of the department. Lieutenant Stoker was doodling something on a pad. Lieutenant Belluci was staring at her packet of cigarettes. Lieutenant Williams was reading a book in a corner. The desk of Sergeant Beatie was bare of personal effects. The blinds in Captain Raydor's office were closed. Like a tomb.

"Everyone, can I have your attention?"

They all looked at him; they hadn't seen him come into the office. It was one of the smallest in the building. "Thank you for your attention. I'm afraid to say that this department is being disbanded, following an investigation into the practices of FID. All officer force investigations will be passed on to CID until further notice."

"What, you can't do this!"

Tony stood up and turned to Brody. Claudia quietened down, fuming in her seat. "Sir, you can't be serious. This department is _needed_."

He nodded and looked towards their obvious leader. "Captain Raydor had a special place for all of you; she looked past your obvious flaws, things that would have you kicked out of any normal department. You won't be returning to FID. When this department has been investigated and re-evaluated, it will be put back together in the new headquarters, with new personnel. New everything. Brand new start."

Claudia joined Tony on her feet and pointed a finger at Brody. "Captain Raydor won't stand for this."

Brody smiled as he looked towards the FID team. "Captain Raydor handed in her badge and gun fifteen minutes ago. She's no longer an officer of the LAPD."

"What?" Simon asked, his voice small. He turned around to see his colleagues were as clueless as he was. Claudia shook her head and sat back down. Raydor had left. She wasn't coming back to the LAPD.

There was a feminine cough behind Brody and Simon enjoyed seeing his face fall at the sight of Chief Johnson. Claudia wondered why she was there, had she come to revel in her defeat of Captain Raydor, finally after all those months? She wasn't sure; she looked like she was there for genuine reasons. Tony rested a hand on both Claudia and Simon's shoulders. What would happen to them now? No department wanted them, they had the stain of FID on them, and they had been put in FID initially because they were trouble.

"Chief Brody."

"_Deputy _Chief Johnson. How can I help you?"

She smiled a sickly smile and turned to the detectives. "I heard about Captain Raydor's departure from the LAPD. She spoke very highly of y'all, and I know Tony's work from personal experience. Until the new FID team is formed and Chief Pope finds you a good department to work in where you can do some good, I'd love for you to work in Major Crimes with me and my squad. You're excellent detectives, and it would be an honour to have you."

Brody nodded to Chief Johnson as he walked out, any ideas he may have had squashed by this act of generosity. Tony talked briefly to Simon and Claudia for a moment before turning back to Brenda.

"Thank you Chief Johnson. We'd be honoured to join you in Major Crimes."

Outside in the corridor, Brenda listened to the sounds of Claudia and Simon crying with Tony trying to comfort them, but she could hear the quiver in his voice. Everything had been ripped apart, both FID and Major Crimes. She opened up her purse and took out the small sheet of paper. She had seen it once before, but this wasn't a ploy to save her job, this was a ploy to save a person's soul.

Andy Flynn, after many years of service, had joined his old partner in leaving the LAPD.

Outside the offices of FID, Brenda began to cry, leaving tears on the letter of resignation.

X

Provenza saw Flynn at the bar, watched him take another sip. The last time he had seen his friend was on the kitchen floor of Sharon Raydor's house, blood all over the place, Flynn crying as he held onto the unconscious Raydor. He looked at him and walked over, and joined him on one of the stools at the bar.

"I'll have what he's having," Provenza asked, noting the coke in his hand. "The Chief told me that you quit. Flynn, you can't be serious. You can't just leave the LAPD."

Flynn took another sip of his drink and smiled at his friend. "I can, and I have. You know I heard Raydor did the same. Haven't heard anything from her, no one has. She might as well have died."

A drink was placed in front of Provenza but he ignored it, concentrating on Flynn. "But she's alive, you idiot. You saved her."

Flynn started to laugh hysterically and drunk from his glass again. He turned around to his friend and clasped his shoulder. "She didn't want to. We were sitting there, in her kitchen covered in blood and she wanted me to let her go. She was with Pope, she had faced everything…and she still wanted to go. And I wouldn't let her, because I couldn't deal with fucking something up, of losing another person. Did I ever tell you my Dad killed himself?"

Provenza shook his head. "No, you didn't."

"Yeah, when I was a kid. The old pipe in the car magic trick. I wasn't going to let her die, not after that. So I saved her life. And she hates me for it. I haven't talked to her, and all I see when I close my eyes is images of her with a knife through her gut, her torn underwear on the floor. If I had left quicker, if I had drove quicker, then she might have been okay."

Provenza was trying very hard not to shake Flynn, but in his mind he was being an idiot. So he settled for something in the middle and smacked him around the back of the head. "You blame yourself for not getting there in time. Pope and his son blame themselves for sending Jimmy to the house. She probably blames herself for not telling him the truth or some such crap like that. You all are missing the point, that Jimmy Beatie chose to do those things to her. There was nothing you could have done. He probably would have done it some other time. He was a nut waiting to crack."

After his speech, Provenza reached for his glass and took a sip. He wrinkled his nose initially. The taste wasn't unpleasant, in fact he liked the drink, but it wasn't what he was expecting. He had been expecting coke, not a healthy shot of Jack Daniels with it. The bartender must have got the order wrong, he had asked for the same as Flynn.

He looked at his friend who raised his glass at Provenza. "Cheers, Provenza. For fucking up whatever you do." He drained the rest of the glass and placed it down on the counter before walking out. Provenza looked to see the empty glass and Flynn's AA ring by the side of it.

X

Ben was packing up the last of the things on his desk. He had a flight to New York this afternoon, once he made sure that Sharon knew what she was doing. He wished he could stay in Los Angeles for a while, but he knew that Sharon wouldn't be staying for much longer anyway. His sister had been dealt a horrible hand at life, no matter what she did and who she helped, everything bad seemed to happen to her. Ben felt so sorry for his sister, but knew that she needed the space to sort things out herself now. After Sam he had been there for her, holding her hand throughout the last thirty years. Now she needed to make peace on her own.

"Nice chair, is it new?"

Ben spun it around and saw a person he hadn't seen for over twenty years, and if he had had his way, would never see again.

Sam Broker looked good for a man his age. Thick head of hair, strong body, expensive suits. Organised crime must pay well. "Get out."

"No time for old friends?"

Ben looked at the man who had broken his sister, who had ordered the breaking of his legs. He gave him a sharp look and spun back around to pack things up. "We were never friends."

"This is true." Sam walked around the office until he moved around to the other side of Ben's desk. On it was a photo of Sharon, a semi recent one at a party Annie had thrown. It was beautiful, and by the bright sunshine it was typical LA setting. "Pretty. You know a while back the police asked me to help out with her father's old case. I did, managed to help solve it. They said she was in New York, tried to find her but I couldn't. I called your office and they said you were based in LA. Wherever you go, she is already there. So where is she?"

Sam had never liked Ben. He had always thought that Sharon should have lived with him after her father's suicide instead of being put into care with another orphan. The teenage boy who helped his girlfriend with her grief was not welcome. He became her family, someone who she trusted even more than Sam himself. He had saved Sharon from the pool of her own blood. He had persuaded her to divorce Sam. And he had got his legs broken for his trouble. But Ben had never been truly scared of Sam, just what he represented. Now he couldn't hurt her sister anymore. Sam had always been a bully, had been beating her for too long. Jimmy had snapped and bruised her more than Broker could ever hope to accomplish.

"Sharon doesn't love you. Doesn't think about you much anymore. She was in LA for a while. Now she isn't. I don't know where she is. She finally exorcised her demons, Sam. I suggest you go back to your world, and I'll go back to mine. You have no hold on her anymore. She is out of your reach."

He clutched the box of belongings onto his lap and rolled down the gangway until he got to the door of his office. He looked back at the man who seemed so threatening to others. Ben realised he had seen worse. "You can see yourself out."

Ben kicked the door open and left Sam behind in his office.

X

Will was thinking about how quiet the house was. Tommy had taken Caitlin and Brendan to the park, and thus the house was his. Everything was too quiet. There should be a beautiful brunette sitting with him, debating the news on television and kissing him slowly without any of the kids around. She should have moved in by now. He sat up, not wanting to see ghosts on all of the furniture. He went in the kitchen to pour a glass of water when there was a knock at his door.

"Coming!"

He massaged his neck gently before opening the door to his visitor. He stared at the person on his doorstep, because he thought it was a mirage. But it wasn't, it was Sharon Raydor. She looked well, if a little tired. But she was still his Sharon, still beautiful and perfect to him. But he didn't know what to say. It was then that he noticed there was no gun or badge on her body. And there was a small duffel bag by her feet.

"You're leaving."

Sharon nodded and looked up at him, already crying. "Can I come in?"

Will nodded, and brought her bag in. They stood awkwardly in the hallway for a moment before Will brought her to sit on the sofa. She seemed nervous around him, and Will already feared the worst. He had known that it would come to this. In his heart he knew that she would leave him. He hadn't wanted to face up to the fact that she would be leaving everything as well. The month he had apart from her over Christmas had been painful, but he had known that she was close. This, this would kill him. He wouldn't be able to function without her nearby.

"You guessed right. I'm leaving. Handed in my badge and my gun a few hours ago and I'm heading on a plane out of LA."

"I see." He wanted to touch her, but he didn't know how. Shit, maybe that was why she was going. Because she worried he would treat her like glass. He didn't know what to do; he just knew he didn't want her to go. "Where are you going?"

Sharon smiled, the first tear trickling down her face. "I'm going to London. I've had a passport for a while, but I've never used it. So I'm going to London, see the sights and do some reading. Then who knows? Paris, Rome…I've got money. I could end up being part of some private detective firm in Denmark or something."

Will laughed and Sharon joined in, reaching across for his hand. He clasped it gently, his fingers running over her skin. Tracing the bruises Jimmy had left around her wrists. He reached for the other one and she let him take it, let him touch her. Her tears spilled over onto her cheeks, and Will feared he was doing the same.

"Tommy is doing okay. He's staying here in LA with me, and he's trying to get some work."

"That's good, that's really good. Will, you need to tell him that it wasn't his fault okay, and it wasn't yours and it wasn't Flynn's. It wasn't anybody's apart from Jimmy's. You know that's what they kept telling me in the hospital. That it wasn't my fault that I was raped, and they're right. My first right therapist. Jimmy was a bastard who had issues. And I know that if you hadn't gone after Tommy then you would be burying your son right now and I would be feeling the guilt you are feeling. And I would hate that."

Will nodded, and rubbed the back of her hands a little more. "I know, I know. Sharon…god I had all these words and all these things if I saw you again and now I can't think of anything."

"I know the feeling; I had this planned out in the car."

Will reached over and traced his finger over Sharon's cheek. She didn't flinch or turn away, just melted into his touch. Her tears spilled over as he choked on his words. "Don't leave me."

Sharon began to cry, racking sobs that left her gasping for air. Will found a box of tissues and handed them to her, before running to the kitchen and handing her a glass of water. She sipped it, before using one of the tissues to wipe her eyes. She used the same to wipe the tears on his own cheeks, lingering on his skin.

"I love you Will Pope. I have never loved any man as much as I have loved you, and that is a fact. And if I could I would stay here and I would live here and help you raise those three beautiful kids of yours."

"But you need to go."

"I need to go."

He sat on the floor and looked up at her. She was so beautiful, even with tears making her eyes red. He didn't know how he could let her go.

"I screwed up with Jimmy. I didn't ask to be raped and stabbed, but I wasn't truthful with him and the man I knew before that Sunday, well I owed him that. I have spent so much of my life regretting things Will, that if I stay and I walk in those halls and I lie in bed with you then I will regret it, I will regret it all until I end up like my father. I need to work things out. I need to figure out me. Like what Tommy did, what he's doing. He didn't know what he was doing; he was walking through the motions. He's trying to live."

Will bowed his head, and Sharon reached over and cupped his cheek. "The past few months with you have been amazing, and I have never felt more alive, believe me."

"But you need to figure out what you're doing, now you've finally realised you're alive."

"Yeah. I was always the broken woman who hid behind the badge to do her job. And you made me more than that. Jimmy took away everything I loved - he took away my love of the force, and the trust that I had, and he made me feel like these amazing months with you were dirty, and wrong, and I will not have that. I need to figure out things, and I can't do that behind dirty glass."

There were no more words to say. She had explained her reasons for going, and Will was going to let her leave. Keeping her would not help her, and he knew it. He carried her bag and walked her to the door. Will looked at Sharon on his doorstep, and tried to smile but it didn't reach his eyes. "You're not coming back, are you?"

"No. I'm not. I'm not going to make false promises and say 'maybe, one day', because that's not fair on any of you. Just, be happy Will." She put on a fake smile and touched his arm. "After a suitable mourning period has passed, you can date other people, but only good, nice people who the kids adore. And when I check on the LAPD in a few months time on their website I want your name under Chief. God, I love you Will."

She moved two feet forward and crashed into his arms. He held her as she cried and could feel himself do the same. Sharon broke the embrace and reached up to press her lips lightly to his. The contact was gone before he could know it was there, but he could feel her around him still. And he wanted her back.

"Keep safe Will. And tell Caitlin, Brendan and Tommy that I love them. And tell their Dad that he is an amazing man, and if things were different then I would happily grow old by his side."

Will nodded, and smiled. "I will. You tell the love of his life that she's amazing, and the strongest woman I know. And that I hope she finds what she's looking for."

Sharon left the doorway, heading down his path and into the waiting cab at the end of it. Will walked outside and watched her get into it, his hands balling into fists. He was going to let her go. Nothing he could do or say would change that.

"Sharon!"

"Yes?" Sharon looked around and saw him standing there. She bit her lip and held onto the cab door until her knuckles turned white.

"I love you too."

The cab sped away to LAX, taking Sharon with it. Will Pope sat down in the middle of his garden path, the LA sun beating down. He reached inside his trousers and pulled out the small box with the engagement ring inside of it. He took it out and kissed the tip. As he walked back into the house, his beeper went off. Calling in, there was a high profile murder that required his attention. Putting the ring back into his pocket, he grabbed his gun and badge and headed out.


End file.
